Time of Your Life
by Very
Summary: MWPP -- L/J. The Maurders arrive at Hogwarts..will it ever be the same? Classic MWPP Story.
1. Manilla, with Green Writing

Title: Time of your life  
  
Author: SteLLa  
  
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter and his amazing universe. Not. I own nothing but a couple of books and my imagination.  
  
Summery: MWPP -- L/J. The Maurders arrive at Hogwarts..will it ever be the same? Classic MWPP Story.  
  
-------------------  
  
"Remus!"  
  
A tiny boy, with sandy brown hair and soft hazel eyes curled up into a tighter ball underneath his blankets, stuffing his head underneath his soft down pillow. He let out a soft groan.  
  
"Remus!" A women out of sight bellowed again, joy seeping from her voice, wherever it is she was. "Remus, dear, come here, look what Hercules has brought you!"  
  
At the mention of the family owl, the boy curled up even smaller, his eyes shut tightly in his pale face. Calming light oozed in from the open window into the brightly light room, but the boy hated mornings and everything to do with them. Though only 11, he was already acquiring that prime teenage- grumpiness come 8 a.m.  
  
His mother, downstairs in the kitchen, knew this. A lithe, young woman with a smile in her eyes and her hand on her hips, she stood beaming, calling irrepressibly for her youngest son. "Remus, dear come see!"  
  
In her hand, she held a envelope, manila with green writing, addressed to a Mr. Remus J. Lupin, Third bedroom on the left, 156 Prophet Street, Ottery St. Catchpole.  
  
At the kitchen table, behind a wide, grainy newspaper, a man with sandy brown hair and laughing blue eyes snorted. "Athena, dear, I think the boy is still asleep."  
  
Athena scoffed at her husband, still beaming, though her hazel eyes were beginning to see the signs of impatience. "Nonsense, my love. He's ignoring me." She turned away from the hallway leading to the bedrooms, and whipped out a long, delicate stick of wood. Not just any wood, mind you. Maple, with a core of unicorn hair, 7 and a half inches.  
  
For whatever else the Lupin's were, political, powerful, caring and wise, they were above else, something else. They were magic.  
  
Wizards and witches had lived in their family for generations, and the current Lupin's were no exception. In fact, glancing around the kitchen, one could see dishes washing themselves, bacon sizzling merrily on the stove..by itself, Oranges squeezing themselves into a pitcher for freshly made orange juice. With a flick of her wand, Athena sent the pitcher of juice over to her husband, who caught it with a nod, his eyes back on his paper as he answered her.  
  
"With good reason, too. It's barely 9 a.m., darling. You'll wake Romulus if you aren't careful."  
  
Athena whirled around to face him, her blonde hair flying, her tone reproachful.  
  
"For your information, Seth, Romulus has been up for an hour and is out with his broomstick in the back, throwing apples up in the air and making heart stopping dives, especially for a 15 year old. Venus is at her friend's house for the weekend, talking about whatever it is 15 year old girl's talk about. The only one not up, is our dear--"  
  
"Remus, lad!" the man interrupted joyfully, terribly glad to have escaped the lecture as the pajama-clad boy dutifully wandered into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing sleep out of his eyes.  
  
Athena spun around, her eyes bright with unshed tears.  
  
"Mum, what is it?" Remus asked in a yawn. "You'll wake the dead with your screaming, I mean..."  
  
But whatever he meant, he didn't get to say, because his mother scooped him up in a crushing hug, jolting the breath out of the tiny elven year old. "Remus, your letter arrived!" she crowed.  
  
The boy scrunched his face up and wiggled out of her grasp. "Mum," he complained, "I can't breath--gerroff!"  
  
With a huff, she let him down, beaming still. He stared up blankly at her, his brain still foggy with sleep. "What did you say came?"  
  
"Your letter, my boy, your letter!" Seth put down the paper, and beamed at his youngest son. "From Hogwarts, lad!"  
  
Remus stared blankly still, suddenly very cold. He wished he had put some socks on. Silence followed his dad's announcement, and the boy suddenly found the floor very interesting.  
  
Athena and Seth traded ominous glances. When Romulus and Venus had gotten his letter, there had been jumping and laughing, screaming and cheering. Romulus had swaggered around, boasting about how he knew it all along, didn't cha know, and Venus had squealed excitedly and immediately sat down to write her friends. But it appeared it would be again different with Remus. As everything was different with Remus...  
  
"Remus, love?" his mother prompted softly, holding out the letter. The silence in the room was heavy as bricks, and she winced as her son turned quietly sad eyes to her. Her joy, seemingly endless a minute ago, was about to be replaced by tears if her little boy didn't look up, smile, laugh, cheer...do *something* other then stare at them with that mournful look in his deep eyes...  
  
Remus reached out heavily and took it, a barely audible sigh escaping his lips. The crumpling of paper was the only sound in the tiny kitchen as Remus bitterly tore open the Hogwarts seal. The letters dropped to the floor as the envelope ripped open.  
  
"Didn't you tell them?" Remus asked hoarsely after a moment as he watched his letters float to the ground, landing in a sad heap. "Don't they know?"  
  
Seth paled, and Athena rushed to answer. "Yes, sweetheart, it's all settled! Dumbledore -- he's the headmaster, see --- he's a very understanding man, sweet pea, very understand and he knows all about your-- " she paused, forced past the lump in her throat -- "*special* circumstances--"  
  
"You mean that I turn into a full fledge monster once a month?" Remus asked quietly, his voice full of much too much bitterness and angst for someone so young. "That 12 days out of the year I become a horrifying monster, people's worst nightmares, that I'm a menace to society and--"  
  
Athena rushed to her son, scooping him her up easily despite her thin frame. "Oh, Remus, dear, *don't*!"  
  
Seth shook his head, stooping down to pick up the letters tenderly. Athena rocked the boy back and forth, her face pained with unshed tears as she hugged him tighter, but Remus refused to cry.  
  
"I can't go, Mum," he told her, his voice muffled against her shoulder as he buried his face in her hair. "I just can't. What if I hurt someone?"  
  
"Oh, Remus." Seth murmured softly, reaching over to tousle the boy's hair. "Don't worry, son. We've got it all figured out. Dumbledore--"  
  
"Dumbledore knows what I am?" Remus asked suspiciously, pushing himself away from his mother to glare at his father. "He knows I'm a were--"  
  
"Yes, sweetie, he knows." Athena answered hurriedly.  
  
Even now, after 9 years of living with it, she couldn't bear hear the name aloud. If only they hadn't decided to go searching for fireflies that one summer night, just after Remus's second birthday. If only they hadn't ignored the loud, prowling footsteps they heard as they tried to comfort little Romulus, who was crying over a wayward shadow. If only Athena hadn't been so preoccupied with Venus's scraped knee, if only Seth hadn't been comforting Romulus, if only Remus hadn't wandered off, following a ladybug.  
  
Athena could still hear her Remus's screams at night, before she lay herself down to sleep. Could still see the fear in Seth's face as he gasped, and two luminous yellow eyes gleamed out of the darkness. Could still see the jagged teeth marks in her Remus's flesh, and feel the sinking sensation in her heart as she realized what it ment. Her Remus, her baby, her everything...was a werewolf.  
  
For 12 nights out of the year, he became a living nightmare, an animal, hungry for human flesh. But those other 353 days...he was still her Remus.  
  
"He knows, Remus." Seth assured him quietly. "And he still wants you to come. He insists, in fact."  
  
Remus raised a bright eye to his father, his lip quivering with unshed tears. It wasn't fair..  
  
"But dad...what if I hurt someone? And how will I make any friends, no one wants to be friends with a were--" he stopped, shot a apprehensive look at his mum, correcting himself --" with someone like me."  
  
"True friends won't care, sweetie." Athena assured him feverently. "True friends won't care at all."  
  
Remus looked doubtful, and still shook his head. "Maybe I should just stay home this year..."  
  
Seth shook his head definitely. "Remus, you're going. No, ifs, ands, or buts about it."  
  
Remus frowned. "But dad.."  
  
"Trust us, Remus. Hogwarts will be the time of your life."  
  
-----------------------  
  
"Master?"  
  
A small, hunched over, house elf, looked up respectively, blinking.  
  
A tall, handsome women looked down at him, her black eyes cold as she leaned away from the dining room table, putting her gold fork down. The Black Family coat of arms hung just above her head on the wall next to her, mirrored by the replica that dressed the tablecloth. Pearls danced around her throat, a blunt representation of the wealth the family possessed.  
  
"Yes, Kreacher?"  
  
"Kreacher is sorry to disturb Mistress while she is eating breakfast with his family, Kreacher knows Mistress does not like to be disturbed, but Kreacher has a letter for young Master Sirius, and Kreacher thought he should get it to him. Kreacher is sorry, madam, very sorry."  
  
The women frowned slightly, the corners of her mouth tipping down dissatisfied, but she nodded nonetheless. "Very well, Kreacher, it's fine. Enough with your apologizes. Give me the letter."  
  
He handed it over, bowing low to the ground, his large, squishy noise nearly touching her shoes.  
  
"Yes, Mistress, here Mistress."  
  
Bowing still, he slinked out of the room.  
  
At the far end of the table, a boy's eyes gleamed excitedly as he stifled a laugh at the pathetic house elf. The boy had dark, chocolate eyes and elegant black hair, a charming smile and a disarming laugh. Right now, however, he was wearing his best robes and a politely bored expression on his face, his half eaten breakfast forgotten on his plate. His eyes were glued to his mother, and the letter she held so loosely in her hand. Manila, with green writing.  
  
Her eyes racked over it once, before she tossed it aside dismissing it.  
  
"Your Hogwarts letter has arrived, Sirius." She informed him coolly, with a sophisticated bite of her eggs. "I trust you will not embarrass us."  
  
Sirius lowered his eyes away from her piercing glare. He hated her eyes. Cold and black, lifeless almost, except for the cold spark of disapproval that flashed every so often. "No, mother. I won't."  
  
His father glowered at him from across the table. "Look at your mother when she speaks to you, boy." He reprimanded sharply and Sirius looked up quickly, ignoring the snickers coming from his younger brother, seated next to him. A sharp look from their father quickly silenced the younger Black. "My apologies, mother." Sirius said softly.  
  
"It's fine." She told him icily. "I trust," she began after a moment, "that when you come home next June, you shall be clothed in Slytherin green?"  
  
Sirius felt something clench inside his stomach at the thought of Slytherin, at the thought of what it stood for and following in his family's footsteps. His father had been in Slytherin, and mother. In fact, most of the Blacks were in Slytherin. He had heard stories of its greatness since before he could walk, the only stories his father ever told him. His father and mother were proud to have been Slytherins -- felt it was an honor that was saved for only the best of wizards...purebloods. He would do everything in his power to make it into anything but Slytherin..even Hufflepuff, for goodness sakes.  
  
"Yes mother." Sirius replied automatically. "I'll try my best."  
  
"You won't try," his father ordered, his voice icy. "You'll do. I don't think I could stand the shame if you were put, in lets say --" his voice took on a mocking tone reeking of sarcasm and distaste as he hissed the word -- "Gryffindor."  
  
A odd gleam came into Sirius's eyes. Gryffindor, eh? He had heard stories of this house too, of the glory-loving fools with their heart on their sleeves who represented bravery and loyalty. His parents hated the house and anyone who had ever been in it.  
  
"I don't want to shame you, father." He answered, his voice amiable but his tone bored. He was tired of playing the dutiful son and the day was bright outside his window. He wanted to go try out his new broomstick, and examine his letter, relish the fact that a few months from now, he would finally be free. "May I be excused?"  
  
"No." His mother barked. "We're not all finished, Sirius. Mind your manners."  
  
"Yes mother."  
  
The usual tense silence returned, broken only by the clinking of silverware.  
  
----------  
  
The wind whistled in his ears, ruffling his hair affectionately as he tore through the skies. The broom below him obeyed his slightest touch and thought rather then his grip, the brand new Nimbus 1000. The boy, a scrawny chap with hazel eyes and messy hair that wouldn't stay put no matter what he did to it, grinned as he reached out from under his arm and took the ball in his hand, waiting until the perfect moment. His eyes narrowed as he approached the hoop, his brow furrowed in concentration. He reeled back and threw the ball as hard as he possibly could, swooping down to catch it if he was off target.  
  
His father, hovered in front of the hoop for a moment, but ducked as the Quaffle came straight towards his head. He rolled over in midair to avoid decapitation, laughing hysterically all the while his son grinned.  
  
"I win!" James Potter exclaimed triumphantly, still dozens of feet in the air as he flew circles around his father, the ball he had just thrown and now caught saftely tucked under his arms.  
  
Harold Potter smiled proudly. "You sure did, Jimmy, my boy! That was a great shot!" He raised a hesitant hand to his messy hair, the trademark Potter hair that his son had inherited, his expression uneasy. "Nearly took my head off there for a moment."  
  
James let out a bark of a laugh. "Not my fault you can't take the heat."  
  
Mr. Potter growled mockingly. "You wait, James, my boy. One day, I'm going to catch that Quaffle if its the last thing I do."  
  
James grinned. "The way you play, it *will* be the last thing you do."  
  
His father stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "Why you little--"  
  
James gave a great giggle before zooming away, down and then up, looping in circles as his father chased him, hooting and yelling.  
  
The two were participating in their favorite pastime, Qudditch. It was a wizarding sport, played on a broomstick, and James was an absolute fanatic about it. Harry, who shared the feeling, and his son trained every Sunday morning for that one day when James would make the house team at Hogwarts. Of course, he had to get into Hogwarts first. Minor detail.  
  
Harry finally caught up with James as his son preformed a spectactular dive, flying just about a foot above the ground. Reaching over, he tugged on his son's hair and shoved him roughly. Startled, James let go of his broom to brush his father away. "Hey, dad, gerroff--" he called, but Harold laughed as James suddenly found himself off balanced and toppled off the broom into the soft grass below.  
  
James blinked as Harry circled and then landed gracefully. "Never," he warned with a twinkle in his eyes, "take your hands off the broom."  
  
James frowned as he considered this. "Unless you're reaching for the Quaffle."  
  
Harry looked puzzled. "Well, I guess yes, unless you're reaching for the Quaffle."  
  
"Or the snitch."  
  
"Or the snitch," he agreed.  
  
"Or if you're a beater."  
  
"Or..if you're a beater."  
  
"Or a keeper."  
  
"Or a keeper," he echoed.  
  
"So basically," James finished wryly. "Always take your hands of the broom."  
  
Harry studied him for a moment, before letting out a burst of laughter. "Exactly."  
  
James nodded firmly, a slow michevious smile working its way across his face. "That's what I thought you said."  
  
Suddenly, a lone figured appeared walking towards them, coming from the rather large house in whose yard they had been practicing in. Harry grinned as his wife scowled at him, his blonde hair dancing in the brisk wind, her hazel eyes laughing.  
  
"Harry, I saw that. No tugging on the boy's hair, that's cheating."  
  
Harry shrugged innocently. "But Maryann, darling, he deserved it."  
  
She laughed affectionately, reaching over with both hands to tousle both of their hair. "Erm, gerroff--" both muttered, and Maryann laughed, as did Harry. But James's attention had been drawn to the letter his mother had just dropped in his lap.  
  
Manila, with green writing.  
  
"Mum.." James began cautiously. "Is that...what I think it is?"  
  
Maryann Potter, with her hazel eyes and mischievous grin, stared blankly for a moment before a slow grin worked its way across her face. She nodded once.  
  
"WAAHOOO!!" James let out a huge whoop, jumping to his feet, grabbing the letter. He threw himself at his father, hugging him fiercely and then at his mother. "I made it?"  
  
"You made it!" his mother crowed excitedly, and Harry grin. "Well done, James. Well done!"  
  
James grinned. "Hogwarts, here I come."  
  
------  
  
Peter Pettigew frowned as he opened his letter. Manila with green writing.  
  
Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His letter had finally arrived.  
  
He hadn't thought it was coming. Neither did his mum. He could tell by the look on his mother's face as they stood in his bedroom, light cascading in softly through the half open window. "I'm going to Hogwarts." He tried saying it aloud, to make it seem more real, but it still seemed like a cruel joke. "*I'm* going to Hogwarts?" he asked instead.  
  
His mother, her blonde hair already sporting a few grays, smiled wobbly at him, the tears she was threatening to spill leaking out of her blue eyes. His father was downstairs, sleeping still, but they would tell him later, anyways.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Peter," she whispered in a hushed voice as she reached over and pulled him into an embrace, the small, tiny boy with the pale blue watery eyes he had gotten from her, and mousy brown hair he had gotten from his father. "So proud."  
  
"Thanks, mum," he whispered back, feeling rather stupid. What had he done for her to be proud of him for? "You're going to love it," she continued, oblivious to the stiffness in his stance. "Absolutely love it. And of course, you'll be in Gryffindor, just like I was..."  
  
"I was thinking more like Hufflepuff, mum." Peter interjected. "Like dad."  
  
"Psh," his mother scoffed, before smiling wildly, holding him at arms length. She had to stoop a little to look him in the eyes. "You'll be a Gryffindor. Brave and true. Right, Pete?"  
  
Peter glanced away. "Right."  
  
She beamed at him. "So proud of you," she whispered again, pulling him in for another bone crushing hug. She wiped her eyes daintily. "Come, now let's go tell your father."  
  
"He's asleep," Peter informed her. "And I think I just wanna look over my letter for a bit, if that's alright."  
  
She continued beaming at him. "That's fine, sweetie, just fine,. You just come down when we're done and I'll make you the biggest breakfast ever! Omelet with cheese alright?"  
  
"Extra cheese. Cheddar." Peter corrected with a smile.  
  
"Right, right." She agreed, smiling. "Extra cheese."  
  
Before she disappeared in the doorway, she smiled. "Good job, Pete!"  
  
----------------------  
  
TBC...  
  
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Author's Note: I've made some corrections, because when I originally wrote this I did not have the Fifth Book with me and was going by memory, lol. I have just realized that Regulus, stupid prat, was younger then Sirius, lol, at about the same time blah-blah reminded me, (thank you, btw). It's been fixed, as has the spelling of Kreacher's name lol. Stupid elf. Anyways, the next chapter will be up very shortly, within the hour perhaps, so check back soon! 


	2. Beginnings

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Remus Lupin grabbed hold of his rusty luggage, and looked up nervously at his brother and sister, standing in front of the barrier at King's Cross, suddenly wishing very hard his mother had not just left him standing there with his siblings. Mr. and Mrs. Lupin had come with them to the station, but after several heart felt good byes and a few stern warnings for Romulus, who just grinned, the adults had left little Remus in the care of his brother and sister, who happened to be twins.  
  
Romulus had an affectionate look about him. He was tall, but he kept his blonde hair cut short. At fifteen he was beginning to fill out, and every so often he would pause at a mirror and flex. Just to make sure everything was still good. He had laughing green eyes and an infectious smile, but Remus knew from the owls sent home that his brother's grades suffered while his social life prospered.  
  
Venus was tall and willowy, like her mother. Her hair was the darkest of the Lupins and her eyes the bluest. She, like Remus, was usually much more quiet then her twin. Nevertheless, her smile lit the up the room and her voice calmed all. Venus and Remus were very close, and he had heard all about the sorting and everything about Hogwarts from his older sister. She too, was beginning to fill out nicely, and gave Romulus plenty of black eyes. Not directly, of course. But when boys decided to try their hands at catching the Lupin girl, Romulus made sure they knew what would happened if her heart was broken. The twins were very close, Romulus and Venus, and their groups of friends often traveled in the same circle.  
  
Remus shook his head to clear his thought and widened his eyes, trying to follow what his brother had been saying.  
  
"....straight through the wall, Remmy, no harm done, and you'll come out the other side!"  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Straight through the wall?"  
  
Venus giggled softly. "Come now, Remus, it's not that bad. Best to do it at a bit of a run, if you're nervous."  
  
Remus frowned, clutching the handles of his trunk tightly. "Right then," he said determinedly. "If you say so, Vee."  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Romulus objected. "I said so first!"  
  
"You also said that I have to fight and kill a mountain troll to make it into Gryffindor," Remus countered with a smile and Romulus chuckled. "Well, you believed me."  
  
With a shrug, Remus began walking towards the barrier -- a brick wall.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly as he drew closer, anticipating the moment when he would bounce back off of the wall. His legs moved faster and faster as a knot welled up in his stomach and---  
  
And he was through. He pulled up abruptly, opened one eye and let out a breath, sighing with relief. Venus walked up behind him, grinning from behind her trunk, her eyes lighting up to see the Scarlet Engine, the Hogwarts Express, once more. "Wasn't so bad, now, was it?"  
  
He grinned back. "Piece of cake," he lied. She smiled knowingly before saying, "well I'm going to leave you with Romulus now. I'm a prefect you know--"  
  
"I know." He interrupted grinning. She ignored him.  
  
"And we get a compartment all to ourselves up front. You can sit in Romulus' compartment if you like. He'll get you settled. I'll see you at Hogwarts then."  
  
He nodded and smiled as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. With a grin and a wink, she walked away, pushing her trunk towards the front of the scarlet engine. At once, a tall, dark boy with an Italian air to him materialized at her side, smiling gallantly as he took her trunk from her and helped load it on the train while Venus laughed. Smiling and shaking his head, Remus turned away.  
  
Romulus had just walked through the barrio, surrounded by three of his friends Remus knew vaguely from the time they spent at the Lupin's house. He glanced around uneasily, wishing Romulus would notice him so he wouldn't have to interrupt their conversation.  
  
When the platform around them began to empty of parents, and students were mainly on the train, Remus frowned. "Romulus!" he called reluctantly, and his brother looked up. "What, Rem?"  
  
"Can you help me with my trunk?" he asked, a little plaintively. Romulus's friends snickered, but quieted with a look from Romulus. "Sure, mate." He agreed.  
  
Motioning to two of his buddies, the burly fifth years managed to get Remus's trunk on rather easily, along with their own.  
  
"Alright, then, see ya Remmy." Romulus said, beginning to walk down the corridor towards the far end of the train.  
  
"Where are you going?" Remus called out as his brother walked away with his friends, his voice wobbling. "Where do I go now?"  
  
"just find a compartment and sit in it. It's not rocket science, Rem."  
  
"What's rocket science?"  
  
Romulus sighed over his shoulder, and gestured towards an empty compartment. "Just go in that one. I'll come back a little while later to check on you." His voice was tinged with impatience but he smiled comfortingly.  
  
"Oh, a-alright then, Rom. See ya." Remus said, his voice small as his brother flashed him a grin before turning in the corridor and scooping some girl into a gigantic bear hug. Remus frowned, and reached for the door to the empty compartment. He could still hear the girl's laughs, but he didn't want to shut the door.  
  
He glanced around the empty compartment, glancing out the window.  
  
Well, he was here.  
  
-----  
  
Regulus smirked as Sirius frowned nervously, standing just outside of the barrier between Platforms 10 and 9. Mr. and Mrs. Black hadn't bothered to come with them to the station, the maid, Mrs. Jaco, had. The woman was well over a hundred and didn't consider, 'chaffering brats around this confounded city' part of her job description, but did it nonetheless, dragging Regulus, Sirius's younger brother along for the ride. At the moment, however, she had gone to fetch her glasses from the care, leaving poor Sirius to care for Regulus,. "Scared, are we, dear brother?" Regulus taunted.  
  
"Spare me the concern, *Reggie*," Sirius hissed back, his dark eyes bright as he glared at his younger brother. Sirius was easily twice his brother's size, but both knew Regulus was mummy and daddy's favorite, and there would be hell to pay if Regulus returned with a hair out of place.  
  
Regulus glared. "I told you never to call me that--"  
  
Sirius snickered. "But, Reggikens, it's such a cute name.."  
  
Regulus lunged for his brother, but Sirius was too quick and had anticipated his brother's blow. Ducking under his little brother's fist, knowing he would be in trouble if he retaliated, or if Mrs. Joco found out, Sirius jammed his cart forward, flying straight towards the barrier. Silently, he said a prayer that his father had been telling the truth when he talked about going through the barrier. He snapped his eyes shut and ran, figuring it would be better to throw himself against a brick wall then to get into a fight with Regulus at the moment.  
  
But he ran through, thankfully...once in his life his father had told the truth.  
  
Not waiting for his younger brother or Mrs. Joco, who Sirius would sure would have a backhand for him when she found him, Sirius rushed towards the train. Glancing up at the clock above the scarlet engine, he frowned. He still had some time left before the train left, but he didn't want to wait on the platform for Mrs. Joco to come and scold him. Glancing wearily at his trunk, Sirius sighed. There was no way he could lift it by himself.  
  
He glanced around, looking for a prefect, perhaps, when suddenly, someone bumped into him from behind. Sirius spun around, expecting Joco, but it was someone else entirely.  
  
A boy, probably about his age, with tousled black hair and dancing hazel eyes turned to look at him. "Oh, I'm sorry," the boy apologized with a grin. "I didn't mean to knock into you."  
  
"Quite alright mate. Sirius Black, at your service." Sirius answered, sticking out his hand promptly and smiling at the boy.  
  
"James Potter." The boy replied, grinning at having found a friend already. "Say, haven't you put your trunk on yet?" he asked, noticing it was still standing in front of Sirius, complete with eagle owl and all.  
  
Sirius shook his head. "Couldn't lift it. I think me mum might have packed some bricks in here, to remind me of home." He chuckled at his own joke, the thought of his mother actually *packing*, but James didn't get it, Obviously.  
  
"Do you need help then? My dad just helped me with mine," James offered, motioning to tall, black haired man with an easy air about him, who was having a discussion with the conductor towards the front of the train. "That'd be great," Sirius thanked him, relieved. "Thanks a lot, mate."  
  
"No problem. Dad!" James called. "Dad! Come help me with this, will you?"  
  
Harold Potter turned away from the conductor, calling his goodbyes, and walked over to his son. "Yes, James, what is it?"  
  
"Could you help us lift this here? Sirius and I can't do it alone and--"  
  
"Oh, made a friend already have you?" Maryann Potter cooed, coming up besides her husband. "Hello then," she addressed Sirius, ignoring the flush on James's checks. "What's your name?"  
  
"Sirius Black, at your service, madam." He answered, a bit shyly, a rarity for him. He hated parents, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of the Potters just yet. Maryann beamed at him. "Well, isn't that nice, Harry, James has a friend already? Lovely to meet you, Sirius, lovely to meet you!" She glanced up at the clock and gasped. "Well, get going boys! You want to find a compartment, don't you? Hurry now! Harry, stop wasting time and get that boy's trunk on the train!"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes off to the side, but Sirius and James both caught the gesture and grinned as Harry replied dutifully, "Yes, love."  
  
Between the three of them, they eventually managed to hoist Sirius's trunk onto the train and into the luggage compartment. Harry hoped off the train, while James and Sirius made towards the railing so James could call goodbye to his parents.  
  
"Bye mum! Bye dad! See ya in June!"  
  
"James Potter you are coming home for Christmas young man!" Maryann cried as the train pulled out of the station. "Goodbye, son! Be good!" Harry called, his arms around his wife.  
  
James shook his head as the station faded out of sight. "Mothers," he groaned good naturedly, and Sirius grinned. "I know what you mean."  
  
The two stared blankly for a moment, before Sirius cleared his throat. "So...er, should we find a compartment? I don't fancy having a prefect come along, or the Heads for that matter, and scold us before we've even gotten there."  
  
"Good plan," James agreed, glancing around. "Most of them seem to be full."  
  
"What about this one?" Sirius asked, pointing to a seemingly empty compartment all the way down the corridor. The door was open. "Should we go in?" Sirius asked hesitantly.  
  
"It's either that, or face the prefects?"  
  
Sirius grimaced. "Go in."  
  
James stumbled in, Sirius after him, and they snapped the door shut behind them. Through the curtains, they could see a girl walking around with a shiny HEAD GIRL badge pinned onto her robes walk down the corridor. Sirius grinned, and turned back to the empty compartment.  
  
Or, not so empty.  
  
"Err..hello?" James said startled, as his eyes found a boy sitting in the corner. The boy smiled pleasantly. "Hello."  
  
"Sorry, do you mind if we..? Everywhere else is full." Sirius asked, gesturing down at the empty seats. The boy shook his head quickly. "No, no. I don't mind."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
The three boys stared blankly at each other for a moment, the silence mounting, before bursting into nervous chuckles. "Remus Lupin," Remus introduced himself.  
  
"Sirius Black."  
  
"James Potter."  
  
Remus smiled. "Do you two know each other?" he asked curiously. "I mean, before just now?"  
  
Sirius shook his head. "James helped me with my trunk," he explained.  
  
"And Sirius helped me with my parents," James joked as Sirius continued, "Head Girl almost caught us loitering in the halls. What my brother would say if I got detention before I even got to Hogwarts.."  
  
Remus and James laughed. "I wish I had a brother," James said rather wistfully. "I'm an only child. I get along right well with my dad though, so it's not too bad."  
  
Remus nodded. "I have an older brother --"  
  
"Wait, let me guess," Sirius interrupted with a grin that would soon become his trademark. "Romulus?"  
  
Remus grinned. "Yep. And I have an older sister too, Venus. She's a prefect, otherwise she would have made sure I got settled okay, but Romulus just loaded my trunk and told me he'd check on me later. They're twins, both in fifth year."  
  
James chuckled. "Romulus, Remus and Venus? What are your parents' names?"  
  
"Athena and Seth."  
  
"Seth? Well that doesn't fit."  
  
"Yeah it does, he was some Egyptian god."  
  
"How'd you know that?" Sirius asked, curious. Remus shrugged. "Dad's into Muggle Studies, so I just picked it up. He works as a researcher at the Ministry, so he's into all these cool stuff."  
  
"Cool," Sirius commented, visibly impressed. "My dad's an Auror," James said, with more then a tint of pride. "My mum writes books."  
  
"Wicked," Remus said and James nodded. "So what houses do you think you'll be in?"  
  
"Slytherin," both Sirius and Remus answered glumly. James looked startled. "Ew - why Slytherin?"  
  
"My family's been in Slytherin for generations," Sirius informed him glumly. "It'll be a miracle if I'm not. I've only had one aunt, Andromeda, who was put in Hufflepuff and they practically disowned her. And now, she's marrying a Muggle-born, so she's definitely out."  
  
"Ah, your families all pureblood?" James asked.  
  
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, but it's really stupid. I mean, pureblood, half blood..it's all the same thing anyway, I mean, you can do magic, can't you? I don't see the difference."  
  
"It doesn't matter to me," Sirius added as an afterthought, and Remus shrugged. "I've never even thought about it. Doesn't matter to me either."  
  
James shook his head. "Not me."  
  
After a moment, he said, "I don't think you'll be in Slytherin, Sirius. You just don't seem the type." Turning to Remus he added, "Neither do you, for that matter. What makes you think you'll be in Slytherin?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "Was your family in it?" Sirius asked. But Remus shook his head. "Romulus and Venus are both in Ravenclaw."  
  
"Smart kids," Sirius acknowledged, and Remus nodded. "What house do you want to be in, James?"  
  
James grinned. "Gryffindor, for sure. My mom was in Ravenclaw, but all dad's family have always been in Gryffindor, so I'm hoping I'll get it."  
  
Sirius smiled. "Yeah, I'd love to be in Gryffindor too. Would drive my dad bonkers."  
  
Remus laughed. "Do you try to do that?"  
  
Sirius grinned. "As often as possible."  
  
"What's your Qudditch team?" James asked suddenly. "Puddlemere United," Sirius and Remus answered immediately, in unison, and they laughed while James stared. "Me too!"  
  
Remus chuckled. "I guess there is a reason why we all ended up in here."  
  
"Cuz we're just about the only Puddlemere United fans on this side of London?" Sirius asked with a grin.  
  
"Basically."  
  
They talked about Qudditch for much of the ride, and before they knew it, the Food Cart had come along.  
  
The boys emptied their pockets of galleons and sickles, and replaced them with Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavor Beans, but soon went back to their discussion of the Qudditch World Cup, which had been played last summer in Siberia.  
  
"I mean, Siberia? What a useless place to have a Quidditch match!" Sirius crowed.  
  
"They don't even have a Qudditch *team*," James agreed.  
  
"They should have it in England, that'd be wicked," Remus added, to the agreement of Sirius and James. "Totally --oo yum, peanut butter -- awesome."  
  
"England's chances of winning the cup are horrible, though, have you seen their -- yuck, who makes an anchovy flavor jelly bean?-- their new seeker? Couldn't catch the snitch if it landed on his head!" James said, disgruntedly spitting out the offending gray jelly bean.  
  
"Yeah, but at least he's not as bad as --" Sirius began, but was interrupted by a loud bang, coming from the corridor.  
  
Puzzled, Sirius walked over to the curtains, pulling them aside and looking into the corridor. He arched an eyebrow. "I think it's some Slytherin 3rd years. They're picking on some poor kid."  
  
He turned to his new friends. "Should we go see what's going--"  
  
But James had already whipped out his wand, followed by Remus, and had stepped into the corridor. Sirius grinned and hurried after them, stepping into the smoky corridor.  
  
"What's going on here?" James called loudly, and the Slytherins looked up in surprise, before snickering. "Aww, is the ickle firsty come to be the hero?" one of them cooed, before raising his wand at James. "Get out of the way, kid, this doesn't concern you," another boy snapped, but James shook his head, and Sirius shouldered his way next to him. "What'd the kid ever do to you?" Sirius snapped, as Remus bent down and gave the boy a hand up. "Thanks," the boy said gratefully, smiling weakly. Lupin grinned. "Don't mention it."  
  
All four boys took out their wands, but they were outnumbered by the Slytherins and the one minor detail..none of them knew any *actual* spells. Several other compartment doors were opening now, curious as to the commotion in the hallway.  
  
The Slytherin who seemed to be in charge, a heavy-lidded kid, tall and wiry, frowned. "Get out of the way before I make you," he hissed, and the other Slytherin's nodded. "Lestrange, I say we get 'em out of the way," another boy agreed, seemingly speaking to the tall leader. Lestrange nodded and raised his wand, at the same moment James raised his -- not knowing what to do with it, really, except chuck it at Lestrange's head and pray his aim was on.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" someone bellowed just before Lestrange cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"  
  
A flash of blinding blue light flooded the corridor for a moment, and all four boys cringed. When Sirius opened one eye, however, Lestrange was flat on his back, his wand thrown asunder.  
  
Remus grinned wildly. "Romulus!"  
  
Romulus grinned at his brother, his impish smile, before scowling at Lestrange, his eyes dark. "Picking on my kid brother, Lestrange?" he growled. "I thought I taught you last year when you wouldn't leave Venus alone what happens when I get wind your messing with a Lupin.."  
  
Lestrange didn't say anything. Perhaps because he couldn't.  
  
"He's put the full body bind on himself!" One of his Romulus's friends laughed. "He must have dropped his wand when you disarmed him," Remus figured, logically, chuckling. James burst out laughing at the sight of the frozen Slytherin, joined quickly by Sirius.  
  
Romulus grinned, but the smile suddenly died on his face as a girl's voice carried through the crowd. "What *is* going on here?"  
  
Remus suddenly looked very sheepish, and several Slytherins and Ravenclaws turned to make a run for it, but her voice stopped them all. "Don't even think about it," she warned.  
  
When she came into view, Sirius's mouth dropped open. Long black hair swirled around her delicate face, and her blue eyes burned brightly as she surveyed the scene. "Venus," Romulus said weakly. "We were just--"  
  
"Oh, Rom, it's you again!" She said impatiently, her hands on her hips. Her Prefect badge gleamed in the light. Romulus grinned. "I was just saving dear Remus and his friends here."  
  
"Remus?" Venus asked surprised. "Where?"  
  
Remus waved slightly, his grin sheepish as she sighed. "Oh, Remus. Not you too. One maurdering brother is more then I can stand around here."  
  
"It wasn't us," Sirius spoke up, finally closing his mouth but his eyes perpetually wide. "Those Slytherins were picking on this kid here--" he reached behind himtand grabbed the kid in question, shoving him forward. "And we came out to help."  
  
"Oh, were they now?" Venus asked dangerously, glaring at the third year boys. Someone had finally muttered the counter curse and Lestrange was just getting to his feet. He smiled charmingly at her. "Hiya, dollface."  
  
Venus gagged. "Get back in your compartment, Lestrange. When we get to Hogwarts, I'm going straight to Dumbledore about this. Picking on first years before we even get there? Despicable. I hope you get 50 points docked." Snickers were heard from the Ravenclaws and the four boys, but she soon whirled around on them, her hair flying. "And as for you," she said, pointedly to Romulus, her voice still dangerous. "Make sure you teach Remus and his friends exparimus. Something tells me they'll need it. And don't forget to write to mum." And with that, she grinned at Remus, gave the drooling Sirius a weird look, and floated down the corridor.  
  
Romulus grinned. "I love having a sister as prefect," he announced to the corridor and Remus nodded in agreement.  
  
Everyone began to dispprese, and the three boys made a move to go back to their compartment when they noticed the lone boy standing alone. "Hey, you? Yes, you. No, not you, James-- YOU!"  
  
The boy nodded. "yeah?"  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Peter. Peter Pettigew."  
  
"Well, Peter, Peter Pettigew, I'm Sirius, that there's Remus, and James. Wanna come sit?"  
  
Peter smiled gratefully. "Can i?"  
  
"I just said so, didn't i?"  
  
James chuckled and Remus smiled as Sirius laughed and Peter nodded. "I guess so."  
  
When he had gotten seated, the door opened again. It was Venus. "Sorry to bother you guys," she said pleasantly, her voice it's usual soft murmur once more. "But I just thought I should tell you we'll be at Hogwarts soon, it's best you get into your robes."  
  
"Alright," Remus said nodding. "Thanks, Vee."  
  
"No problem." She turned to leave, then paused, turning to Sirius. "I say, are you alright? You look a bit ill."  
  
Sirius flushed bright red and James coughed to cover a laugh. "He's fine."  
  
"Too many chocolate frogs," Remus lied, chuckling heartily. Peter smiled.  
  
Vee studied him for a moment, then nodded. "If you say so. Bye boys."  
  
The door shut quietly behind her.  
  
"Remus," Sirius said quietly into the silence that followed. "I think she wants me."  
  
"Sirius, you're 11. She's 15. I don't think so," James objected, smiling.  
  
Remus laughed. "Sure, she does mate."  
  
Sirius looked to Peter for support, who miraculously came through. "I think she digs you, mate."  
  
Remus snorted. "Sure she does."  
  
-------------  
  
The rest of the ride to Hogwarts passed quickly, and before they knew it, they were standing before the great hall, waiting for the Sorting to begin. Because of Venus, Remus and many of the first years knew there was no troll, much to the older students displeasure, but still felt slightly uneasy about standing up in front of the whole school, Peter worst of all.  
  
The song passed by in the blur-- they were much to nervous to listen to it in anycase, and before anyone knew what was going on, Professor McGonagall, a stern looking witch with a disapproving frown, called out,  
  
"Angio, Alice!"  
  
A tiny girl with thick red braids and freckles across her nose scurried forward. Moments later the hat screamed out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Albert, Matthew!"  
  
A blond boy with a haughty swagger came forward, smirking.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Black, Narcissa!"  
  
Remus glanced at Sirius. "You didn't say you had a sister--"  
  
"She's not," Sirius told him grimly. "We're cousins. Distantly."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Black, Sirius!"  
  
"Here I go," Sirius muttered to James and Remus as he passed, nodding to Peter. "Wish me luck."  
  
"Luck," James said, and crossed his fingers. He had heard stories about Slytherins, stories of what they became that would make your skin crawl. He didn't want Sirius among them. For one thing, they could no longer be friends, because more then anything, Slytherin was a breeding ground of the dark arts...and with an Auror as a father, James Potter hated the dark arts.  
  
Sirius clutched the edges of the stool tensely as the hat was placed on his head, waiting. Nothing. He had just about to get edgy when a little voice in his ear began to whisper.  
  
"Another Black, have we here? Yes, yes, it would seem so. But you're not like the rest of them, are you Sirius?"  
  
Sirius shook his head slightly, all the while thinking one thought, over and over again. *Please put me in Gryffindor* he begged. *Gryffindor*.  
  
"Gryffindor, eh?" the hat whispered. "What a upstart that would cause, a Black in Gryffindor? Curious, curious indeed. You've got the cunning to be in Slytherin, young Black--"  
  
Sirius clutched the stool tighter.  
  
"..and the mind of a Ravenclaw. Not bad, not bad. And loyalty, loyalty, why there is a good deal of that! Hufflepuff would appreciate it! Hufflepuff would nuture it! But you are not destined for Hufflepuff, I think..Be careful of where your loyalty lies, young Mr. Black, just be careful...and ooo there it is..quite a load of bravery we have here, quite a load...and nerve, oo there is a good deal of that too..Not Slytherin, you say, not Slytherin..well..you know best, I say..I see you, Mr. Black would be best in...GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Sirius beamed as the hat bellowed the last word to the entire school, his smile as bright as the stars twinkling down from the Enchanted Ceiling. McGongal removed the hat from his head and placed it down, ignoring the loud cheering coming from the Gryffindor table to bestow on Sirius a rare smile, before turning back to her list.  
  
Rushing over to the table, receiving congratulatory pats and whistles from some second year girls, Sirius grinned, and breath a sigh of relief. His eyes wandered the High Table, as he laughed out loud from pure joy, and to his astonishment, Albus Dumbledore, whom he recognized from the old mans picture that appeared so frequently in his Chocolate Frog cards and in the Daily Prophet, winked at him! Sirius grinned back and turned his attention back to the sorting.  
  
"Catsaw, Percy!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Diggle, Dedalus!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Doge, Elphias!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Evans, Lillian!"  
  
A petite girl, with flaming red hair and emerald eyes, walked nervously towards the stool. Sirius watched with vague interest, watching impatiently for another Gryffindor.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat pronounced loudly and Sirius cheered and let out a whistle as the girl bounced over happily.  
  
"Hi!" she beamed excitedly. "Lilly Evans," she reached out to shake his hand and Sirius smirked back. "Sirius Black," he told her smoothly, grabbing her hand and brushing his lips over it in a suave kiss. She just laughed and turned her attention back to the sorting.  
  
"Figg, Jessica!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
A small girl with platinum blonde hair and shining hazel eyes hurriedly made her way over to Lilly and introduced herself, smiling shyly at Sirius.  
  
Sirius was getting bored and he let his attention wander, studying the high table and the rest of the tables. He spotted Romulus and Venus, the Lupin twins, sitting near each other at the Ravenclaw table. Then he spotted Lestrange and his cronies scowling at him from the Slytherin table. Sirius grinned and waved. They cracked their knuckles menacingly.  
  
When Sirius turned his attention back to the sorting, two more girls had been sorted into Gryffindor. Laurel Hastings, a curly topped brunette with an innocent smile, and Emmeline, ("just call me Em,") Jackson. Sirius joined their conversation about Slytherins and how they all looked like an evil bunch, pausing to look up when the Sorting got to 'L'.  
  
"Longbottom, Frank!"  
  
"GYFRINNDOR!"  
  
Sirius cheered loudly, his relief at another Gryffindor male building as Frank ambled over. He was fairly short, but with kind eyes and a laughing smile at made Sirius instantly like him as they shook hands and began to talk. Sirius paused however when he heard,  
  
"Lupin, Remus!"  
  
"Come up, Remmy," he said quietly. "Not Slytherin..."  
  
Inside Remus's mind, he was chanting much the same thing.  
  
The hat, was frankly amused.  
  
"What makes you think you could survive in Slytherin, m'boy? You're too loyal, too noble, too kind for that sort of lot..I know what I'm doing Mr. Lupin, and though for 12 days out of the year, you do show a bit of Slytherin, my dear werewolf, you are in fact made for...GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Sirius cheered and whooped and Frank clapped hard for another Gryffindor as Lupin ambled over, grinning like an idiot.  
  
Glancing at the Ravenclaw table, he was a bit disappointed he wouldn't be with his siblings, but they would be leaving in two years anyway. Venus grinned at him and winked; Romulus flashed him the thumbs up sign and got all of his friends to cheer for him.  
  
The three Gryffindor boys soon dissolved into conversation about Puddlemere United, delighted to see Frank too was a fellow fan, and all but ignoring the sorting. They barely paid any attention to the girls until they heard Laurel remark loudly, "See that's what I mean. Look at him, classic Slytherin," as Malfoy, Lucius was made a Slytherin.  
  
"I see what you mean," Remus agreed frowning.  
  
"And that, my friends, is why we should celebrate *NOT* being in Slytherin!" Sirius cheered loudly, not realizing that as Lucius passed the Gryffindor table, he was within hearing distance. The blonde hair boy shot him a particular nasty look and Sirius gave it right back, but Frank chuckled.  
  
"Great start to inner-house relationships, that was."  
  
Sirius grinned. "I don't want *any* kind of relationship with that oaf."  
  
"Look, Peter's up," Remus observed as the shaking boy made his way to the stool.  
  
Peter bit his lip as the hat was placed over his eyes, shielding the great hall from view.  
  
"Well, well, well," said a tiny voice in his ear. "Peter Pettigew. Nervous are we? No reason to be lad. Just let me take a look around. Hmm.. Gryffindor, your mother was in, wasn't she?" Peter nodded slightly. "And your father a Hufflepuff? Good, good.."  
  
*Gryffindor* Peter pleaded silently. *Please, let it be Gryffindor.*  
  
"Gryffindor, did you say? Bravery, the house of Gryffindor is known for, Peter, I think you would do better in Hufflepuff..the house suits you, you know...Ah, but your friends are in Gryffindor, aren't they? Well, well, that changes is everything. Friends can shape your life, Peter, remember that..friends can change everything. Well, if your sure, be true to these friends better...be brave like a GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Peter smiled weakly, relief etched on every line of his face as the Gryffindor boys grinned. "Thanks," he murmured weakly as he put the hat down and raced towards the table. "Thanks a lot."  
  
Sirius shot Lupin a look. "Didn't see that one, coming, did you?"  
  
Remus smiled sheepishly. "Honestly? No."  
  
Sirius laughed. "Me either..Good going, Pete!"  
  
But they had little time to congratulate him, as Remus hissed, "Look, it's James!"  
  
"Potter, James!"  
  
James strode boldly over to the hat, and threw it in his head. It slipped off, falling to the floor to loud laughs and hoots from the students. McGonagall glared.  
  
James flushed, and was suddenly amazingly glad the hat was hiding his face from view, even as the hat hissed disgruntedly,  
  
"A little over eager, are we, Mr. Potter?"  
  
James smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Yes, well, we can't all be perfect. Now, let's have a look around, shall we? Oh, you have a fine mind, no doubt about that. Courage too. Lots of it. Cunning, and smarts, oh my, your mother's Ravenclaw intelligence seeps through..."  
  
"Gryffindor!" James whispered fiercely under his breath and the hat seemed to huff.  
  
"Thank you, James Potter, but I know what I'm doing. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yes, her intelligence shows through...but so does your father's blood. Bravery beyond doubt, I say...you, Mr. Potter, are only fit for one house, I believe..and that house is...GRYFINNDOR!"  
  
James smiled widely, placed the hat down neatly on the stool, before getting up to loud cheers and running over to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Bravo, mate!" Sirius said excitedly. "We all made Gryffindor!"  
  
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," James muttered dryly as Snape, Severus was made a Slytherin. Sirius grinned as Vance, Cleo, was made a Gryffindor whistling catcalls along with the rest of the table.  
  
As the last of the sorting ended, finally, Dumbledore stood at the high table, beaming proudly, his arms thrown up.  
  
"Welcome, welcome all of you!" He cried, seemingly overjoyed. "Another school year is at hand, and I am very exicted! A few school announcements, if you please...to all first years, you would do well to remember that the Forest at the edge of the grounds, known as the Forbidden Forest is, well, forbidden!" His eyes darted to Romulus Lupin as he added, "and some of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Romulus grinned.  
  
"Mr. Filch, our caretaker, would like me to remind you that magic is strictly forbidden in the corridors, as is mud, dirt, chocolate frogs and any product of Zonko's. The list, which can be seen in Mr. Filch's office, is quite extensive and you are all more then welcome to stop by and see it. I would also like for everyone to welcome, our new Potions teacher, Professor Perkins!"  
  
A short wizard with long black hair tied back neatly in a ponytail and a grim smile, Professor Perkins had the look of a grown giant who had shrunk several feet. His eyes were blue, but strangely cold, and his lip curled slightly. He nodded slightly as Dumbledore gestured towards him.  
  
"Professor Perkins had kindly agreed to take on the role of Head of Slytherin!"  
  
The Slytherin table cheered, though it was somewhat faint. The man was not exactly welcoming looking.  
  
"And, I would also like to welcome Professor Lovegood as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"  
  
A petite witch, with a welcoming smile, stood up and grinned at the students, waving before sitting back down. Her waist dirty blonde hair tucked underneath her as she sat, and she had strangely pale eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look, but still, her smile set them all at ease.  
  
"Thank you for my patience, students, and now..Bon Appetite!"  
  
Sirius's eyes widened in delight and James let out a laugh of contentment as food magically appeared on their plates. "Excellent." He murmured through bite of chicken.  
  
"Brilliant," Sirius echoed reaching for the mashed potatoes.  
  
Frank and Remus just grinned and Peter reached automatically for the macaroni and cheese. A prefect down at the end of the table, closest to Sirius, looked over.  
  
"So, new Gryffindors, ready to help win the House Cup?"  
  
Sirius nodded but when he opened his mouth, Hestia Jones, the Gryffindor prefect, was showered with a spray of spittle and mashed potatoes. "Who won last year?"  
  
Hestia reached for a napkin, wiping her face delicately, and scooting away from Black. James chuckled.  
  
"Slytherin, of course. Won for the last 5 years!"  
  
"Five years!" the girls chourshed. "Yes, so we *have* to win this year," Hestia told them severely. "So that means no fooling around and loosing points."  
  
James and Sirius grinned. During their conversations, they had discovered both had a great love of pranks. Lilly glared at them. "Why are you grinning like the cat that ate the canary?"  
  
James smirked. "No reason, carrot top."  
  
"Carrot top!" Lilly shrieked. "Why, you little--"  
  
Hestia chuckled. "ANYWAY," she interrupted. "So who do we got this year? Sirius Black, who're you?"  
  
"Peter Pettigew."  
  
"Okay, Black, Pottet, Pettigew, Lupin, Longbottom...decent bunch of boys, don't mess up this year! We need that cup! And what about the girls..Lilly Evans, Jessica Figg, Laurel Hastings, Emm-- sorry dear, *what* is your name? Okay, I'll just call you Em Jackson, and Cleo Vance..not a bad bunch, dearies! Alright, all finished are we? Come on, I'll show you where the tower is!"  
  
"Finished?" Sirius asked aghast as he shoved his third helping of plum pudding in his mouth. "I've just started!"  
  
James and Peter laughed as Remus shook his head. "That's disgusting, Sirius."  
  
Sirius grinned, showing a gruesome display of mashed pudding and mashed potatoes, chicken and peas all mashed inside his mouth.  
  
"Ew, gross!" Cleo exclaimed and Jessica turned her eyes away.  
  
"Yuck!" Laurel cried.  
  
"Sirius!" Lilly and Em scolded in unison.  
  
Sirius just smiled.  
  
Hestia shook her head. "Alright, let's go first years, follow me."  
  
The first years dutifully got up from the table, and followed the willow fifth year through the crowd, out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Excuse me!" Hestia exclaimed loudly. "I'm a *prefect*!"  
  
James turned to see who she had bumped into, and frowned. What was his name again? Oh, yes. Snape. And Malfoy.  
  
Both of them sniggered and glared at Hestia, bumping roughly into her again. Her eyes bulged. "Outrage! 10 points each from Slytherin!"  
  
Malfoy and Snape suddenly stopped snickering and glowered at her. "Flithy mudblood," Lucius hissed, turning away. "C'mon Snape."  
  
Hestia went pale at his words and so did several other people in the crowd.  
  
"MALFOY!"  
  
Someone roared and the Gryffindor's looked up to see McGongal descending furiously on him. "Get back here! Filthy words, such a filthy mouth on you! We shall be seeing Dumbledore about this, make no mistake!"  
  
Hestia grinned and Sirius and James exchanged gleeful looks. "I think I've found public enemy number one," Frank whispered to the group and Remus nodded in agreement. "Definitely."  
  
Hestia shook it off and led them quickly too the tower, muttering the password, (Codswallop) and directed them to their dormitories.  
  
The boys found there's easily enough, claming beds and quickly climbing into them. It had been a long day.  
  
And as the lights slowly flickered off throughout the Gryffindor tower, James smiled sleepily. Something about the tower just felt like home. 


	3. Love Always, the Mudbloods

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Author's note: This is one of those chapters where I feel the need to describe everyone. The reason for this is that as I progress in the story, I'm having a harder time picturing this all in my minds eye, which means, you all are having trouble picturing our dear friends and so I had to fix it. I'm sorry if I went too far and bored you all to tears; but, hey, at least now you know what all of our stars look like and act like. Feel free to skip the parts if you need to, but just know, their proper descriptions *are* there. Mmkay, then, and on with the show...  
  
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Time flew for the new Gryffindors, and before they knew it, Halloween was upon them. Hagrid, the groundskeeper, could be seen with Professor Flitwick, magically bringing the 3 ton pumpkins into the Great Hall for decorations, and decorating with live bats and rat that were levitated, so they scurried around above their heads on the walls. The girls didn't really see their charm, but Peter out of all of them, was fascinated.  
  
The four boys had grown very close throughout the days, none more so then Sirius and James. Sirius had gotten James out of some very sticky situations with Mr. Filch, the bitter school caretaker and James, in turn, had used his charm to worm Sirius out of several detentions with McGonagall. Still, Remus and Peter had gotten very close to the duo as well, and even Frank had been included in many of their nighttime escapades.  
  
The five Gryffindor girls had merged into best friends over night; all Muggle-born, they all had something in common and immediately worked from there. It was rare to see one alone in the corridor, even briefly, and if they were solo, they were usually up to trouble, sneaking around, trying to figure out what the boys were up too.  
  
The qualities in each of the first year Gryffindor soon distinguished themselves among their peers.  
  
James, with his dark black hair and hazel eyes, had a wonderful personality if you were on his good side. Get on his bad side, or have anything to do with Slytherin and the dark arts, and you were immediately out. James was a very trusting person; his trust wasn't earned, it was granted, and you had to do something serious to lose it, but once it was lost, it was gone. His best subject was Transfiguration, but his favorite activity was pranking Snape. The greasy haired Slytherin had already had his hair turned pink six times; it was time for something original. James was fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Sirius, Remus and Peter, and would do anything to help any of them out.  
  
Sirius, like James, loved pranking people. He loved to be the center of attention was, ironically, rarely serious. His best subject was charms, and he loved Qudditch like James, but he was more outgoing then his best friends. His charming smile and disarming bark of a laugh shot down many a detention before it was given, and worked his magic to get Lily to occasional do their History of Magic for them. His good looks, though boyish still, with his dark eyes and gorgeous hair, managed to let most of the pranks he played on the girls slide.  
  
Remus was more practical then his other two nitwit friends. He was just as attractive as them, though no one really looked at him that way, because after all, he was just Remus. Smart, logical, but above else kind, there was no one else anyone would rather talk to than Lupin. He never tried to stop James and Sirius, though sometimes he frowned and would turn away if they went too far. He was the mastermind behind many of their pranks, researching farfetched charms to help them pull them off.  
  
Peter was quiet then his other, bigger, friends. Scrawny, but pudgy, Peter was barely more then a squib in any subject but Herbology, but James patiently took time out to tutor him in transfiguration and potions, and Sirius re-taught every charms lesson while Remus made sure Peter passed defense against the dark arts. His hair was mousy brown and his dark eyes small and pointy, but he did have a nice smile. And he was always there if you needed him. No matter if you needed him to be bait for the Slytherins, or to copy his Herbology essay, Pete was there.  
  
Frank wasn't as close with the other four boys. He was closer to several friends he had made in the Hufflepuff house, but he still kept up occasionally with the other boys, frequently joining them in their midnight adventures. He had become close friends, best friends, with Alice Angio of Hufflepuff and spent a lot of time with her. He was always up for a good laugh though, and though he was lacking a little in his studies, his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades were, shall we say, 'off the hook.'  
  
Lily was the most academically minded of the girls; with her flaming red hair and emerald eyes, she had to endure constant calls of 'Slytherin Eyes' whenever she pissed someone off with her rambling about tests and essay. "Oh, shove off, Slytherin Eyes!" had been coined by none other then James Potter, but now became a common refrain around the common room, even by the girls. She was sweet to people she liked, surprisingly nasty to people she didn't, and had the perfect poker face, the ability to hide her emotions came to her surprisingly well.  
  
Jessica was undeniably cute, a fact that same her often in Defense Against the Dark Arts, her worst class. Professor Lovegood was patient with everyone, but Jessica was just so simply sweet and innocent, she never got scolded, even when she confused Azkaban with Disney World on one of their first tests. With platinum blonde hair and demure chocolate eyes and a pert little nose, Jessica looked very much like an elf, and sometimes acted like it too. She was prone to giggles and laughs, and was usually seen laughing at something or other much more often then she was studying.  
  
Laurel was the girly girl of the group. She was prone to switch moods without warning, one minute laughing and the next biting your head off. She was constantly buried in some magazine, forcing the girls to do some quiz to discover what their signature perfume scent was, and trying out all sorts of things to keep her hair straight. She was kinda self-involved, but determinedly loyal, and was always there to listen when there was a problem, usually coming up with a practical solution that the girl's would later see featured in Seventeen Magazine.  
  
Cleo was the prankster. She laughed at anything, sometimes even things that were not-so-funny, like the time James fell off the roof and broke his arm. She had a dark look to her, with a natural constant tan, and long, thick black hair that fell to her waist. Her black eyes sparkled with constant mischief, but when one of her friends was hurt, there was no more fun and games and Cleo wanted revenge. It was she her friends turned to in times of vengeance, and Cleo always made sure what goes around, comes around.  
  
Lastly, Emmeline, who hated her name with a passion and went around constantly chirping, "Just call me Em!" She was the tomboy. Her hair was chin length, a deep honey color, and her eyes were light brown, flicked with gold. Her body was long and lean of an athlete and she was constantly racing the guys to class, usually winning, unless she happened to be racing somewhere James knew a secret passage way too. She was very shy around people she didn't know, except when it came to her name, but, around her friends, failed to ever shut up. She was very perceptive and usually picked up details the others missed; it was she who eventually figured out the reason Lily was losing so much of her lovely red hair was because Snape had been slipping some All Natural Hair Loss potion into her evening pumpkin juice. Cleo made sure Snape paid for that one.  
  
The girls had gotten close with some of the boys; Remus and Lily had become fast friends, and Jessica and Peter had discussed at some length herbolgy, both of their best subjects. It was obvious Laurel had discovered a fast crush on Sirius, who didn't seem to be aware she was a female, and that Sirius and Cleo had a lot in common. In fact, of all the girls, Cleo was included in the most of their pranks; James and Sirius found her creative streak useful and inventive and they often collaborated on schemes against Malfoy and the Slytherins. Em and James, both Qudditch lovers, got up before everyone every Wednesday when the pitch was free to practice throwing Quaffles at each other; each hoping for a position on the team come next year, as everyone knew first years never made it.  
  
Yep, everyone got along quite well, except for James Potter and Lily Evans. Spurred by the 'carrot top' comment, James teased her mercilessly about her hair; furious about his teasing, Lily could often be seen researching hexes to make James bald so he wouldn't touch his hair all the time. Their screaming echoed throughout the Gryffindor Common Room until Hestia threatened to dock points from her own House if it didn't quiet. From there, it merged into subtle pranks and insults, but by now, was a full blown war. When they were with other people, James and Lily were civil to each other for their friends sake; but alone, it was dangerous.  
  
Everyone but Sirius was utterly content with their new life in school. Sirius loved Hogwarts, and he loved Gryffindor, but he had one major rain cloud soaking his day.  
  
Sirius had yet to tell his parents what house he was in; they had naturally assumed Slytherin and he didn't tell them otherwise. But Narcissa, his nasty Slytherin cousin, was holding the fact over Sirius's head. If he didn't tell them, she warned, smirking horribly, she would. And she would make it seem as though Sirius was *glad* to be in Gryffindor!  
  
Sirius had just rolled his eyes at her at the time, but was beginning to seriously worry. When his aunt, Andromeda, had been sorted into Hufflepuff, there had been a family uprising, resulting in several angry letters being sent to Dumbledore. Dumbledore had consulted with the Sorting Hat, who had agreed all sorting were final and there was nothing to be done. But nothing had been the same with Andromeda and her family since. And things were awkward enough in the Black household, without the added stress of Gryffindor on Sirius's back.  
  
On October 23, a few days before Halloween, Sirius and James had just arrived back at the common room late that night, around midnight, from detention with Filch and were in the midst of a discussion, ignoring the three first year girls who were studying in the far corner as they collapsed on the couch, nursing their sore hands and knees from washing the trophy room for 6 hours. The duo thought they were alone.  
  
"I say, you just tell 'em, Si. They're gunna find out eventually, Narcissa will tell her parents and it'll get to yours. They'll be madder if they have to find out that way. Just explain to them that you wanted to be in Slytherin and then they'll forgive you. "  
  
Sirius shook his head. "It's not that I care what they think, Potter. It's just that I don't want to listen to their babble. I mean, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers and I--"  
  
He paused, suddenly, thinking about what he just said. "I mean, no offense to anyone, as I'm *in Gryffindor*, but that's just what my parents think and I--"  
  
James nodded, having not taken the least bit offense even though his mother often wrote about Muggles in her books. He had known what Sirius meant. But from the far corner of the room, Lily dropped her History of Magic book, and Cleo gasped. Em looked up from her Potions essay, her mouth open.  
  
"Sirius Black," Cleo breathed. "I cannot believe you!"  
  
Sirius looked up, surprised. "Hey, Cleo," he said easily. "What's up?"  
  
But Cleo's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't even speak to me," she hissed as she stood and threw her belongings in her bag. "Don't even."  
  
Sirius raised his brows. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Like you don't know!" Em hissed, fury in her eyes. "Like you didn't just call all of Gryffindor Mudbloods and Muggle Lovers! I'll have you know there is nothing," she growled, "*nothing* wrong with muggles or muggle borns!"  
  
Sirius paled visibly and James shook his head quickly. "No, girls, you didn't hear him right, he meant his fam--"  
  
"Shut up, Potter." Lily snapped. "No one is talking to you. You're just as bad, you agreed with him!" Whirling around to face Black as she threw her things into her bag and headed towards the dormitory, she spat, "I knew Potter was bad, Black, but you I thought better of. I guess we were wrong. You're no better then Malfoy."  
  
And with that, the girls grabbed their stuff and tore up the stairs.  
  
Sirius leapt over the couch, reaching for Cleo's bag, as she was the closest as they started up the stairs. "Wait, girls, seriously, I didn't--"  
  
But Cleo spun around, her black hair whirling as she reached the first step of the staircase. When she tugged on her bag and he wouldn't let go, she literally growled. Reaching down, she lifted her palm and slapped him as hard as she could, sending his head snapping to the side and stars bursting before his eyes. He let go weakly and they tore up the stairs, slamming the door behind them.  
  
Sirius turned, stunned to James, who was standing, his mouth half open. "What the hell was that?"  
  
James shook his head numbly. "No idea..i mean, I know Evans is a nutter, but Cleo? And Em?"  
  
"They thought I called them mudbloods," Sirius said numbly, sinking into a chair. "I would never call them mudbloods.."  
  
"And muggle lovers." James added, but Sirius shot him a venomous look. "You're not helping."  
  
"They're pissed at me too, remember? I nodded. Apparently I agreed."  
  
"But I never said that.." Sirius said, his voice strained. James nodded. "I know, mate. Don't worry, they'll come around."  
  
But Sirius shook his head. "You don't know girls like I do, mate."  
  
James raised a brow. "You know girls?"  
  
"I have several girl cousins," Sirius reminded him. "When they get a bone like this, they're like animals. They gnaw on it until it's dead and dry."  
  
"Lovely analogy," James quipped, but he wasn't in the mood for laughs. "I would never call anyone a mudblood." He added after a moment. "Who cares about blood?"  
  
"Slytherins," Sirius answered bitterly. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air. "This is stupid. We'll just explain to them tomorrow what happened, and as for now -- do you have any parchment?"  
  
James nodded, handing his friend a spare piece and a quill. Sirius frowned and thought aloud as he wrote.  
  
"Dear Mother and Father,  
  
I am sorry to have to inform you of this, especially you father, but I think you should know before cousin Narcissa tells you. I have been sorted into Gryffindor. I didn't tell you until now because I was embarrassed--" Sirius's voice reeked of sarcasm, and James snorted -- " and because I have been trying to the best of my efforts to be transferred into Slytherin. "-- James coughed loudly, something that sounded suspiciously like, "YEA RIGHT!" --"I am sorry to tell you that it hasn't worked. I am a Gryffindor.  
  
My apologies, Your son, Sirius."  
  
Sirius regarded the letter bitterly as he folded it up and sealed it into an envelope and stuffed it into his pockets. "I hate my parents." He said suddenly and James frowned, sympathetically. "I know, mate." He said softly. "You were born into the wrong family, it seems."  
  
Sirius grinned, never serious for long. (lol) "Yeah. I shoulda been born into yours."  
  
James let out a laugh. "Then my mother would really have some good material for her books!"  
  
Sirius chuckled with him. "And a lot more gray hairs."  
  
James laughed. "That's a given."  
  
Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed from the girl's dormitory, and both James and Sirius turned to look. "What was that?" James asked, puzzled, but Sirius frowned.  
  
"Most likely word of our bigotry is passing from girl to girl," he surmised glumly. "Girls always shriek when they get upset."  
  
"Girls always shriek period." James corrected with a smile and Sirius laughed. "Agreed."  
  
"So, anymore pranks planned lately?" James asked, not yet tired, but determined to get his mind off the girls.  
  
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. I think we may need to bring in backup on this one though, because it won't work properly in my head."  
  
"Oh yeah? What is it?"  
  
"Well, somehow we need to transfigure a storm, water, lightening, and everything. That's not too difficult, you can probably manage that."  
  
"What am I transfiguring it to?" James asked, eyes wide.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Sirius answered casually. "A rock, something. Anyway, we transfigure a really heavy hurricane cloud into a rock, or a ball. Then, when Perkins turns his back in Potions, we throw it. It turns back into a storm midair, and whoosh! The dungeons are flooded and Potions gets out early."  
  
James looked at him blankly. "Sirius? How are we going to transfigure an entire hurricane? I mean, a cloud, maybe?"  
  
"So we do it cloud by cloud."  
  
"But that doesn't include the water, or the lightening.."  
  
Sirius yawned. "SO it's not perfect yet. We'll bring in Lupin on it. He'll be able to figure something out."  
  
James nodded, grinning. "Yeah. He'll manage it. And if it works--"  
  
"The look on Perkin's face when it's raining on his head will be priceless. He'll be *forced* to take a bath!"  
  
It was running joke between the Gryffindors that the strong smell of cabbage that assaulted them every time they went into the dungeons was none other then the body odor of Professor Perkins. He was a Slytherin, after all, he did have the greasy look going for him. At every chance possible, every Gryffindor had vowed to somehow get Perkins wet. It was for the greater good; for the health of the students. So far, Perkins had several water balloons magiced over his head to follow him around, refilling and pelting him for an entire afternoon until he managed to unhex them; he had a cauldron of shampoo dumped over his head followed by his robes being transfigured into water (he had muggle clothes on underneath). But to cause an entire flood in the dungeons to rid the smell? It would be their greatest feat yet. If they could do it.  
  
"We could just get a rain cloud to follow him around all day," James mused as they headed up to bed.  
  
Sirius nodded. "We could, but that doesn't get rid of the stench in the dungeons. It needs a good cleaning, if you ask me."  
  
"How quickly do ya think it'll flood?"  
  
"that's another thing, we'll need to block the drainage.."  
  
Sirius rambled on about his brilliant idea until they opened into the dormitory. Frank and Peter were already asleep, but Remus was up, buried in a book.  
  
"Whatcha reading, Remmy?" James asked, yawning, interrupting Sirius in his spew of ideas to clog the Hogwarts plumbing by throwing a dungbomb down Moaning Myrtle's toilet.  
  
Sirius scowled but Remus held up the book so they could read the title; Dangerous Beasts and Where to Find Them.  
  
"Ah, nice to see you've got some good bed time stories, Lupin." James said dryly, and earned a laugh from Sirius as he struggled to keep his voice low as they changed into their nightclothes.  
  
Remus smiled. "Very funny James."  
  
"I am, aren't i?"  
  
"Hardly." Sirius answered dryly and James scowled.  
  
"So what happened down there?" Remus asked in a half whisper. "I heard the girls shrieking from in here. They're still awake."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I can hear them," Remus answered amused.  
  
James and Sirius exchanged looks. "How?"  
  
Remus smiled. "Listen."  
  
All the boys quieted down until they could hear only the quiet snores of Peter and Frank. Suddenly, they heard a muffled bang, and a quiet scream, as if the person was doing everything they could to keep themselves quiet and not succeeding. They heard someone shout, as if into a pillow, yet it was still so loud that it traveled down the corridor and into their room, "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"  
  
Sirius frowned grimly. "Oh."  
  
"Yeah," Remus said, watching them both curiously, the light coming from the candle near his bed making him look more tired then usual. "What happened?"  
  
"They think we called them mudbloods," James answered dolefully. "It was all a misunderstanding," Sirius said stubbornly.  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Did you call them mudbloods?"  
  
"Of course not!" James exclaimed angrily. "Sirius was talking about his stupid bloody family and saying what they thought about Gryffindor. The girls overheard--"  
  
"And thought we were saying what *we* thought about Gryffindor." Sirius finished dully. "It's all really stupid."  
  
Lupin nodded in agreement. "Yea, it is stupid," he agreed, his voice soft. "So who heard you?"  
  
"Lily, Em and Cleo. You would think Lily would freak because she's just plain nuts--"  
  
Remus chuckled softly under his breath.  
  
"--but Em and Cleo really seemed upset too. Whatever, it's not a big deal, we'll work it out in the morning."  
  
Remus nodded. "Yea, I guess so. Don't worry about it too much, I'll talk to them, if you want."  
  
"Thanks, Remus," Sirius answered gratefully from under his covers. "They always listen to you."  
  
"Yeah, why is that?" James asked from his bed by the window. "What do you got that we don't?"  
  
Remus chuckled. "You want a list?"  
  
"Shut up, Lupin, I'm serious."  
  
"No, I am," Sirius chimed in, and James snorted. "That jokes dead, Black. Leave it in peace."  
  
"That joke was dead from the moment it was said," Remus said. Sirius chuckled. "Hey, Remus, you made a rhyme!"  
  
"I'm a poet and don't know it."  
  
"And another one!"  
  
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."  
  
"Hey, how bout that!"  
  
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."  
  
"Lupin, I am impressed."  
  
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."  
  
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.  
  
Remus chuckled.  
  
"Goodnight guys."  
  
"Goodnight mi amigos."  
  
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."  
  
"Says you."  
  
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.  
  
"Who cares if I speak Spanish or not? I say I do."  
  
Suddenly, someone whispered, "Lumos!" and a light filled the room. It came from Frank's bed, and he hissed dangerously at them, "SHUT UP!" before muttering, "nox." and replacing his wand on his bedside table. With a snort, he turned back over, stuffing his head under his pillow.  
  
"Goodnight guys," James hissed in a whisper.  
  
"Goodnight mi amigos," Sirius hissed in response.  
  
Frank just groaned.  
  
---------------  
  
"So then he goes, "Well, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers!" "  
  
"No!" Laurel exclaimed. "Sirius? Sirius Black?"  
  
"The very same," Lily assured her ominously. "And then, get this! Potter, yes the same Potter you just told me this morning, was 'not *that* horrid', he nods! He agreed with Black!"  
  
Laurel shook her head. "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"  
  
"Thank you, Lau," Cleo said into the silence that followed, causing smiles to crack. Tears had welled up in several of the girl's eyes and Em shook her head. "Don't let yourself get upset about it, girls. They're just pricks."  
  
"Pricks we have to spend the next 7 years with," Lily added reassuringly. Jessica giggled. "Well, there is Remus, Peter and Frank. They're nice," Em added helpfully. "Though I guess this means no more Qudditch with James."  
  
"And no more pranking with Sirius." Cleo agreed glumly.  
  
"Where do they get off, calling Gryffindor's mudbloods anyway?" Lily hissed spitefully. "They're as bad as Slytherins!"  
  
"Worse!" Laurel cooed, and Jessica giggled. They turned to stare at her.  
  
"Sorry," she said through her slight laughter. "It's just the thought of anyone being worse then the Slytherins makes me laugh."  
  
Lily giggled too. "Okay," Laurel allowed with a smile, "maybe not worse."  
  
"You know what this means, now, don't you girls?" Cleo said slowly with a mischievous smile.  
  
Em sighed. "That look in your eye means only one thing, Cleo."  
  
"Trouble." Lily finished with a smile.  
  
"Yes, but not for us," Cleo clarified. "For our dear wanna-be Slytherins."  
  
"Pranks?" Jess asked.  
  
"Yes; now." Cleo agreed. "Now, while they unsuspecting."  
  
"Do we have any good ones lined up?"  
  
They all turned to Lily; she was the brains of the group. "Well, Lil, any interesting hexes?"  
  
Lily smiled softly. "I think I have an idea. Grab your wands and two pillows, and lets go."  
  
Giggling like crazy, the girls grabbed their supplies and tiptoed into the boy's dormitories. Outside, they paused, listening.  
  
"I'm a poet and don't know it."  
  
"And another one!"  
  
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."  
  
"Hey, how bout that!"  
  
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."  
  
"Lupin, I am impressed."  
  
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."  
  
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.  
  
Remus chuckled.  
  
"Goodnight guys."  
  
"Goodnight mi amigos."  
  
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."  
  
"Says you."  
  
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.  
  
Lily backed away from the door, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "What, what?" Cleo hissed.  
  
"I have an idea," Lily said brilliantly. "Go get your charms book, Jessi."  
  
The blonde scampered off and returned quickly, and Lily flicked to the page she wanted, her grin growing. "Perfect," she whispered. "We just have to wait for them to go to sleep."  
  
The girls nodded, and paused, waiting. Within minutes, deep, heavy breathing could be heard, along with loud, obnoxious snoring -- Sirius.  
  
Giggling madly, the girls gathered into a circle, the pillows in the center. Lilly pulled out two feathers and placed them by her feet, before transfiguring the pillows into two can of whip cream.  
  
Cleo's eyes gleamed. "The old muggle trick?" she whispered excitedly and Lily grinned in answer. Laurel meanwhile, applauded silently. "If only Potter and McGonagall could see your transfiguration now!"  
  
"Okay," Lily whispered in an order. "Laurel and Jessica, you tackle Sirius. Spray the whip cream into his hand and then tickle his face, as many times as you want. Just make sure it's properly covered. Em, Cleo, you do the same thing to James."  
  
"And what are you gunna do?" Jessica asked as she gathered her whip cream. Lily just grinned.  
  
The 5 girls slithered into the room, stifling their giggles helplessly. Finally, Lily cast a silencing charm on all of them to keep their giggles at bay. Before long, Sirius was sporting a beard of whip cream that would rival Old St. Nicholas's, and James was doing his impersonation of a cloud. The whip cream went straight down his nose and up around his eyebrows and in a flash of brilliance, Cleo tickled his ears too. With the whip cream sticking out of his ears, James looked as though he had aged 60 years. But Lily kept grinning. Holding out her wand, she muttered four incantations, but only one had an immediate effect -- James's beautiful hair disappeared entirely. Though sparks flew out of her wand and landed softly on James's lips as she spoke the other three chants, no other effects showed. She quickly crossed the room and did the same to Sirius.  
  
When all was said and done, the girls fled the room, hiding the evidence. All except for a bright banner that was hung across the room. Signed in their wacky penmanship, the banner read in flashing Gryffindor colors, "LOVE ALWAYS, THE MUDBLOODS!"  
  
Breakfast was going to be fun. 


	4. Rhyming Spaniards

Remus Lupin awoke the next morning to two loud, terrified screams.  
  
In traditional Remus fashion, he opened one eye, squinting. He blinked.  
  
Opening the other eye, sitting up and rubbing the sleep away, he blinked again.  
  
His first thought was - Bloody HELL. WHAT HAPPENED HERE??  
  
His second was more logical. He must be dreaming. That had to be. That was the only explanation for why James and Sirius were both covered in whip cream, screaming at the top of their lungs, and bald, standing together underneath a flashing banner that said, LOVE ALWAYS, THE MUDBLOODs.  
  
Only explanation.  
  
"James," Remus said calmly. "Get out of my dream."  
  
But James just screamed louder, finally pausing in his ear wrenching yells to say quickly,"Remus, this is not a dream! All is not how it seems!"  
  
Remus blinked again.  
  
"Fine." He said calmly. "Sirius, get out of my dream."  
  
Sirius's eyes went wide, his hands on his head. Remus chuckled at the ridiculous site, but again James repeated, "Remus, this is not a dream! All is not how it seems!"  
  
"James, why are you rhyming? You hate rhymes!"  
  
"Hate and yet I cannot stop, those Gryffindor girls we have to chop!"  
  
Remus furrowed his brow. "What?"  
  
Frank, from his bed across the room, opened one eye. "I've had enough," he growled. "Potter, Black, get back into bed or I'll hex you into oblivion."  
  
"Bed? Bed? Who can sleep? Now is only the time to weep!"  
  
"James!" Remus bellowed. "STOP RHYMING!"  
  
"I am not trying, please, I'm not lying!"  
  
Exasperated, Remus turned to Sirius. "Sirius, what is going on?"  
  
Frank shoved his head under a pillow and Peter asked sleepily, "What time is it?"  
  
"A stitch in time saves nine!" Quipped James, then slapped his hands over his mouth, looking horrified.  
  
"Sirius, *what* is going on?" Remus demanded again, swinging his legs over his bed.  
  
"Remus, usted tiene que ayudarnos! ¡Las muchachas hicieron esto a nosotros!"  
  
Frank, Remus, and Peter stared at him.  
  
"Wanna try that in English, Black?"  
  
"Estoy intentando hablar en inglés!!"  
  
Frank and Remus stared at each other.  
  
"What," Remus breathed, "in the name of Merlin, happened to you?"  
  
James shook his head, his eyes wide. "Remus, my friend, I do not know! I awoke this morning with a beard as white as snow!"  
  
Peter stared at the banner flashing over Sirius and James's heads.  
  
"And you woke up talking in rhyme?" Frank asked groggily. "And you in Spanish?"  
  
"Si! Si!"  
  
"Who," Peter asked slowly, "are the Mudbloods?"  
  
James and Sirius looked at each other, and then up at the banner. At once, they both screamed.  
  
"Oh, bloody hell," Remus said wearily. "The girls. The girls did this. They had to -- they're the only ones who have a motive and know our password."  
  
James face, behind his beard, contorted in anger. "They will pay dearly for their jokes, pranking us to look like dopes!"  
  
Remus hid his grin. "You have to admit," Peter said smirking, "they did a good job."  
  
Sirius let out a fresh stream of words that, though they didn't know they language, caused Frank, Peter and Remus to burst into laughter.  
  
"Right then," Remus said, wiping his eyes. "Why don't you go wash the whip cream off your faces and -- hold on a minute...where's your hair?"  
  
Sirius's face grew deathly pale. "¿Es donde está siempre?"  
  
"Remus, you must not have slept, our hair is where it is always kept!"  
  
Peter shook his head slowly, and a grin was spreading across Frank's face. "Have you seen a mirror yet?"  
  
James and Sirius both shook their heads.  
  
"I suggest you go take a look..." Peter said, trailing off with a grin.  
  
Two screams echoed throughout the Gryffindor tower.  
  
"My hair! No fair! My hair, Oh my hair! They who did this shall surely pay, and forever more regret this day!"  
  
Sirius just continued to wail.  
  
Remus dragged his robes over his head and chuckled, but held out his wand. "Come here, you two idiots. I have a feeling I know what happened to your hair...if yo two can still feel it, since you both thought it was still there...then it's more then likely it *is* still there. We just can't see it."  
  
"¿Puede usted fijarlo?" Sirius asked worriedly. Remus ignored him since he had no idea what he said.  
  
"Can it be fixed? Use some of your tricks!"  
  
"If it is what I think it is," Remus said grinning, "I can fix it. Come here."  
  
"It's your fault we're in this mess, if you go first it would be best," James said, shoving Sirius forward.  
  
"¡Espera! ¡Espera! ¿Qué usted va a hacer?!" Sirius screamed, but Remus ignored him, muttering under his breath as he lightly tapped Sirius's head. His hair slowly faded back into place.  
  
Remus grinned. "Simple disillusionment charm," he explained to the gaping Frank, Peter and James. "They didn't remove the hair, just made it so we saw their scalp instead. Clever."  
  
Frank whistled softly through his teeth. "Impressive."  
  
"Lily probably did it," Remus reasoned. "She's the only one whose read enough to know about it."  
  
"Figures the culprit was she," James growled. "She'll never again cross me."  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "Right, right. Come here; you're next."  
  
Soon, James's untidy hair again appeared on his head. Remus grinned. "Okay, now go wash the whip cream off so we can go down for breakfast; everyone else is dressed."  
  
"It's still there?" James asked, startled. "How do they dare!" he added lamely, but his brow was still furrowed.  
  
"Lo lavamos apagado antes, cuando fuimos a comprobar nuestro pelo." Sirius said, confused. Remus rolled his eyes. "NO HABLA ESPANOL!" he shouted slowly at Sirius. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR SAYING!"  
  
Frank laughed. "I think they washed it off before...it grew back?"  
  
"How could whip cream grow back?" Peter asked confused. "It is whip cream, isn't it?"  
  
Frank leaned over and swiped his finger through Sirius's beard, sticking it in his mouth and grinning. "Yep," he assured them. "It's whip cream."  
  
Remus frowned. "Are you sure you got all of it before?"  
  
James nodded, unable to think of a good rhyme and Sirius scowled furiously.  
  
"I don't think they would have missed that much of it, Lupin," Peter said logically, gesturing at the pair whose faces were still covered in whip cream. "It's *all* still there!"  
  
Remus shook his head. "I don't understand." A look of dawning comprehension passed over his face. "Unless...maybe they used a permanent sticking charm?"  
  
Sirius's face grew very, very alarmed. Several paintings in his house had permanent sticking charms and no matter how hard he tried to yank them out the window, they never moved.  
  
James looked equally terrified. There was no counter curse for permanent sticking charms.  
  
Frank shook his head after a moment. "Nah." He said. "Even if they really hate them, they wouldn't do *that*. That's just mean."  
  
Remus nodded, but shrugged. "I don't know how to get it off you guys; sorry."  
  
James' eyes widened, horrified. "Remus, you know all! There's no problem you can't solve, big or small!"  
  
Remus chuckled. "I'm sorry! But I can't think of anything that would separate the whip cream from your faces without removing your nose and eyelashes as well,..."  
  
Peter looked up, an excited look on his face. "I think I know a spell!"  
  
Remus and Frank raised their eyebrows. "You, Pete?"  
  
"Yea!" Peter said, nodding. "I know a spell that parts and separates things..oh, just let me try!"  
  
James looked at Sirius. Sirius looked at James. "Usted primero." Sirius said firmly, and Remus cracked a grin. "I think he said, 'you first.'"  
  
James scowled. "I know what he said, my brains not all dead."  
  
"Only parts of it." Frank interjected, but his grin died as James turned his glare on him.  
  
"Trust me!" Peter half squealed. "I know what I'm doing!"  
  
"Fine, fine, I don't have a choice, unless I want to walk around with a face all moist."  
  
Remus scrunched up his face. "Not one of your best rhymes, Potter."  
  
If looks could kill, Remus would be dead a hundred times over, but he just grinned. "Well, go ahead Pete." He prompted.  
  
Grinning, Peter held up his wand. "Dissendium!" he squeaked, tapping James's noise rather roughly.  
  
The whipcream floated away from James's face, levitated in the air for a moment, and then with a plop, landed in a messy heap on the floor by James's feet.  
  
"Hurray!" James exclaimed, rubbing his hand over his jaw, grinning. "Pete saved the day!"  
  
Peter grinned broadly, and Sirius stepped forward eagerly. "¡Ahora yo! ¡Ahora yo!"  
  
Pete glanced at Remus. "What'd he say?"  
  
Remus smirked. "I think it's his turn."  
  
"Right then. Dissendium!"  
  
Sirius grinned as his whip cream joined the melted pile on the floor. "Gracias, Pete! Usted es un ahorrador de vida!"  
  
"Er...what?"  
  
"Gracias!"  
  
"Oh! You're welcome!" Peter grinned broadly, and Frank laughed. "Right then, time for breakfast now?"  
  
With a flick of his wand, the flashing banner above their heads folded into a neat pile in the corner, and the melting whip cream floated into the sink. "Are we ready to go?"  
  
James shook his head firmly. "I cannot see people this way! Slytherins will have a field day!"  
  
"Field day?" Frank asked, his brow furrowed. James shrugged. "The witches who cast this spell on me are Muggle-born," he explained, then suddenly slapped himself viciously across the face. "What was that?" Peter asked bewildered. Remus chuckled loudly. "I thinks it's because he couldn't think up a second line for his rhyme."  
  
"Remus! Usted rimó otra vez!" Sirius exclaimed happily. The four boys looked at each other. "Er, what?"  
  
Sirius sighed. "Nunca mente." He said sadly.  
  
"Anyway," Remus said loudly. "I'm hungry! Let's go get food."  
  
"No! Didn't you hear? I'll be the laughingstock of the year!" James insisted.  
  
"Oh, James shove it. Just don't talk to anyone." Frank said, talking above his growling stomach.  
  
"Yea," Peter agreed. "Come on."  
  
James pouted and Sirius made vehement exclamations, but eventually, they gave in. The five Gryffindor boys moved to sit down at the Great Hall, but Frank dispersed eventually and went to sit with the Hufflepuffs.  
  
Ten minutes later, Lily and her crew floated into the hall. Smiling evilly as they passed the boys on their way down to the far end of the table, Lily called out sweetly, "Have a pleasant morning, Sirius?"  
  
Sirius just glared.  
  
"Oh, James...what a thunderous expression. Get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Laurel called over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes.  
  
James gave her a particularly nasty hand motion, but she just burst into giggles. "What's the matter boys, cat got your tongue?"  
  
Sirius actually growled and muttered softly to himself, but Remus frowned. "Alright girls, you've had your fun and proved your point. Now unhex them."  
  
"Or what, Remus?" Cleo replied boldly. She made her voice purposefully loud as she continued. "You'll tell on us? We'll simply explain to McGongall that Black and Potter called all of Gryffindor Mudbloods and Muggle- lovers!"  
  
A hush settled on the Gryffindor table, starting with the 7th years, who looked ultimately disgusted, working its way down to the smallest 2nd year. All glared at the two first year boys known as Potter and Black. Peter slunk down in his seat and scooted away from Sirius, who glared at him.  
  
"They never said that," Lupin said evenly. "It was just a misunderstanding. If you unhex them, they can explain it themselves."  
  
James's face was bright red and he stared determinedly down into his porridge. Sirius was staring ahead stonily.  
  
"Why don't they asked their Slytherin friends do help them?" Lily called, through a mouthful of porridge. "They'll help."  
  
Remus scowled. "Grow up, girls. It was just a misunderstanding."  
  
Lily's eyes narrowed. "That's all it was to you, Remus Lupin. But you don't understand what it's like for people to hold something against you that's completely out of your control."  
  
Remus chuckle ironically, shaking his head and opened his mouth to reply when someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. His sister.  
  
"Vee," he said gratefully, smiling at her. "What's up?"  
  
She smiled softly at him. "I could ask you the same question." She shot a pointed look at James and Sirius, both with bright red faces and stony glares. "What's this I'm hearing about James and Sirius hating muggle- borns?"  
  
Remus paled slightly. "It's gotten round the school that fast, has it?"  
  
She shook her head a little. "My best friend, Hestia is a Gryffindor prefect. I went to ask her what time we were meeting tonight to study and she launched into a tirade against Gryffindor first years who think they know everything. She mentioned them."  
  
Remus nodded quietly. "It was just a misunderstanding. But now their hexed and can't explain themselves."  
  
She raised a brow. "Are you sure it was just a misunderstand, Rem? Both come from pureblood families. If it is true, I'm not sure these are the types of kids you should be friends with, Remmy. If they have that against Muggle-born," she lowered her voice slightly, "imagine they're reactions when they learn what you are."  
  
Remus's color faded away. "They're not like that, Vee. I promise," he insisted in a whisper, hoping against hope that it was true.  
  
She nodded, looking relieved. "If you say so, sweetie. I'm just looking out for you."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Anyway, can you help them? Maybe you know the countercurse."  
  
Vee frowned. "Well, what's wrong with them?"  
  
"James!" Remus called, and the disgruntled boy looked up. "Say something." Remus urged. "Show Vee."  
  
James shook his head adamantly.  
  
"Just do it."  
  
James sighed. "It's not my fault I am cursed, there is nothing that could happen to make this day worse."  
  
Vee arched a brow. "Come again?"  
  
James answered resignedly. "I am fortune's fool, I would much prefer a wizard's duel."  
  
Venus turned to Remus. "He speaks in rhyme?"  
  
Remus nodded. "Yep. But at least with him, most of the time we can figure out what he's trying to say. But Sirius over here.."  
  
Sirius smiled sunnily at her and she gave him a small smile in return.  
  
"Say something, Black."  
  
"Voy a cerciorarme de cada de los dados de las muchachas de Gryffindor una muerte muy dolorosa antes de la edad de doce."  
  
Venus laughed and Sirius's face fell, but she shook her head. "No," she said smiling. "I can speak Spanish. So it was the Gryffindor girl's who did this to you? Well, they're only first years. They're prolly not that advanced. I'd say it was a simple case of a translation charm. Am I right that you still think in English?" she asked Sirius, who nodded, smiling.  
  
She nodded then, and whipped out her wand, muttering a few words. Sparks fell out and landed on Sirius's lips, and she nodded. "Go ahead. Try it now."  
  
"I'M FREE!"  
  
The shout echoed throughout the Great Hall, causing the Gryffindor girls to look over with a scowls, shooting particularly nasty looks at Venus. The other Gryffindor students looked over scowling, and hisses and whisperes were directed at Sirius as he stood up, beaming, but he took no notice.  
  
Sirius leapt over a chair to come to kneel at Venus's feet. "I am not worthy," he praised feverently. "I am not worthy!"  
  
She laughed, but ignored him. Sirius looked disgrunted as he took his seat once more.  
  
"Thanks Vee," Remus said gratefully. "But what about James?"  
  
"Oh, Merlin," Vee said, glancing at her watch. "Is that the time? I'm late for Charms! See you Remus!"  
  
"NO!" James bellowed, then immediately smacked himself. Lily sniggered.  
  
"COME BACK! ALACK! ALACK!"  
  
"Alack?" Sirius asked with a raise brow. James shrugged. "It was the best I could do, my rhymes to choose from are now few."  
  
"Well, come on then," Peter said reluctantly, shoving a last bite of his cheese omelet in his mouth. "We're late for Lovegood's class."  
  
"How can I say spells with my speech so impaired?" James moaned, grabbing his books. "Oh, woe is me! Life is so unfair!"  
  
Sirius frowned. "Not your best one yet, Jimmy."  
  
"Don't even think of speaking to me, Black, or I won't be the only one screaming 'Alack'." James replied furiously. Sirius raised his hands innocently. "What did I do?"  
  
"It's your fault I'm in the mess!" James exclaimed before adding quickly, "I'm liking this day less and less!"  
  
Lily and her friends laughed hysterically as they walked by, but Sirius reached out and grabbed Lily's arm. "What did you do to him?" he asked fiercely. "Take it off, now, he won't be able to say his spells!"  
  
She tore her arm out of his grasp. "Oh, shove it Black," she replied scornfully. Cleo added furiously, "It's your own fault. How dare you call us such horrible things!"  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I told you. I *never* said that. Why would I call you a mudblood? You *used* to be one of my closest friends." He fired at them. "I was talking about the way my family sees Gryffindor, everyone in Gryffindor, including myself!"  
  
Lily pushed him aside. "Please, Black, save us your sorry excuses."  
  
"You don't believe me?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Wait until tomorrow's mail, just see the Howler I get when they finally learn I'm in Gryffindor."  
  
"Your parents don't know your in Gryffindor?" Laurel asked suspiciously. "Because you're ashamed!" Jessica accused.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered disgustedly. "There is no reasoning with them. It's my business what my family knows and doesn't know, but no! They didn't know because I didn't want to hear how I let them down by not going into Slytherin! Happy?"  
  
Grabbing James and Remus, he pushed the forward and they stormed away, leaving Peter trailing after them and a group of 5 girls desperately confused.  
  
"Let them down?" Lily echoed.  
  
"By not getting into Slytherin?" Em repeated confused.  
  
"What kind of family does he *have*?" Laurel asked slowly.  
  
"Not a very good one, I expect. You know he's related to Naricissa, that Slytherin? They're cousins." Cleo told them hesitantly.  
  
"You think he's telling the truth then?" Jessica asked worriedly, clutching her books to her chest.  
  
Lily frowned. "For once in my life, I hope he's lying," she said finally. "Otherwise, we really are pricks."  
  
There was a murmur of agreement, and with a sigh, the girls headed into class.  
  
----------------  
  
"Okay people!" Professor Lovegood exclaimed happily when all of the class had been seated. "Now, today we are going to start our studies of the useful little spell. Take our your quills and write this down, then repeat after me. Ready? Expelliarmus!"  
  
"Expelliarmus!" The class repeated dully. "Very good!" She beamed at them. "Now, take this down. The incantation, 'Expelliarmus' is derived from the Latin words. Does anyone know which two?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Lupin?"  
  
"Expelo, to drive out, and armus, weapon." Remus replied promptly. She beamed. "Excellent! 5 points to Gryffindor."  
  
"Now, does anyone know what 'Expelliarmus' *does*?"  
  
"Yes, you, Miss Evans?"  
  
"It's a disarming charm, miss." Lily replied quietly. "It causes your opponent's weapon to fly out of their hands."  
  
"Very good! Another 5 to Gryffindor. Now, if you could be so kind as to divide into pairs and quickly practice the spell, I'll go around the room and make sure you're doing it correct--yes, Mr. Black?" She paused as Sirius' hand shot up into the air.  
  
"Sorry, Professor. But James has lost his voice and can't say the spell properly."  
  
"Is that right?" Professor Lovegood asked, her brow furrowed. "I could have sworn I heard him talking as I left the Great Hall this morning. Screaming, in fact. Something about 'Alack?' "  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Must have been someone else then."  
  
"Alright, Mr. Potter, I suppose you'll have to sit this one out then...Are you sure you can't even manage to whisper the spell? It's terribly important and dead useful, and this is the only day we'll be covering it."  
  
"I'll make sure he learns it, Professor," Lupin spoke up, at the same time, James shook his head and said in a whisper, "Professor, I guess I can try." To himself, more quietly he finished, "though by the end I may need to cry."  
  
Remus shot him a puzzled look, but James was determined. "Alright then, people! Pair up!" Professor Lovegood announced.  
  
Sirius and Peter headed off to a corner, leaving Remus and James together because, after all, Remus was top in the class and could help James, who was doubtful he would be able to manage saying the incantation.  
  
"Ready, then? Alright, make sure your aim is straight folks! We don't want any accidents!"  
  
"Me first?" Remus asked James, who nodded tersely.  
  
"Right then...EXPELLIARMUS!"  
  
At once, James's wand flew out of his hand. Remus caught it grinning and tossed it back to James, who was smiling slightly. "Nice one," James applauded then immediately smacked himself roughly across the face.  
  
"Mr. Potter!" Professor Lovegood exclaimed, startled. "What are you doing?"  
  
Half the class looked over as James mumbled, "Nothing, Professor, Sorry.." and proceeded to slap himself again, this time leaving a bright red mark.  
  
"James, are you feeling alright?" She asked worriedly, reaching for his head to check his temperature. He flinched and moved away. "I'm fine," he said clearly, then added under his breath, "You swine."  
  
"Mr. Potter, I heard that!" she exclaimed, outraged. "Now, I don't know what is going on with you today, between losing your voice and not losing it, slapping yourself at odd intervals and now, insulting teachers! I'll have no more of it, James Potter and that is a warning! 5 points from Gryffindor!"  
  
"But Professor, it's not my fault!" he begged helplessly, as once more he raised his hand and slapped himself. A bruise was beginning to form under his eye as his friends looked on helplessly.  
  
"MR.POTTER! 10 POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
James was completely tense. His face was bright red, save for the black and blue under his eye and his fists were clenched. Sirius called from the other side of the room, "Please, Professor! It's not his fault!"  
  
"Then whose fault is it, Mr. Black?" she asked whirling around.  
  
Lily's eyes fastened on Sirius. Already they were heavy with guilt, but now with dread. What they had done had been completely out of line, and now it was interfering with James's studying. They would probably be sent to the Headmaster.  
  
"It's mine," Sirius said firmly. "I accidentally hexed him this morning and I'm still looking for the countercurse."  
  
James rolled his eyes and Lily had the faintest idea that, had the roles been reversed, James would not have taken the action Sirius did.  
  
"Is this true, James?"  
  
Lily dropped her head into her hands, and Cleo slumped in her seat. Well, it was all over now.  
  
"Yes, Professor." James said quietly, then slapped himself viciously.  
  
Lily looked up shakily. Cleo and Em locked widened eyes, and Laurel stared at her feet.  
  
"Well, what curse did you use?" Professor Lovegood asked turning to Sirius once more, slightly hysterical yet oddly mollified now that she knew James wasn't going to be needing a trip to St. Mungo's soon.  
  
"I don't know, Professor."  
  
"You silly boy, how could you not know? 5 points from Gryffindor, you should not be hexing anyone! And Mr. Potter, another point from Gryffindor for every slap I hear this class!"  
  
James just nodded.  
  
Professor Lovegood turned back to the class. "Alright everyone, back to work!"  
  
"Ready to try again?" Remus asked James quietly, who just nodded. Taking a deep breath, he yelled, "EXPELLIARMUS!"  
  
Remus's wand flew out of his swiftly, but James couldn't catch it because he was too busy slapping his head sideways.  
  
It fell to his feet, James breathing heavily, fury pulsing through his body.  
  
By the end of the class, 30 points had been lost from Gryffindor and James was sporting a decidedly nasty black eye. Lily and her friends left the classroom in a quiet huddle, but they caught up with the boys outside the History of Magic classroom.  
  
"James!" Lily called impatiently. "James!"  
  
"What is it Slytherin Eyes?" he snapped furiously, glaring at her. The effect was kind of lost, however, as he muttered to himself, "There is no one more that i despise."  
  
"RETEXO!" she muttered, pointing her wand at his mouth, frowning grimly.  
  
With a short look of pure fury, he turned away. "Thanks," he spat. He waited. No slap came.  
  
Sirius grinned and slung his arm around his friends shoulder. "Finally, Jimmy, you're back to normal."  
  
"Yeah," James agreed as they slunk into Binn's classroom. "Just in time to start planning my revenge."  
  
The girls paled.  
  
------------- Author's Note: Yes, what Sirius is saying is real spanish, or at least my translator assures me it is, lol. I didn't orignally put the translations up because I figured if the rest of the guys, Lupin, Potter, Pettigrew and Longbottom, didn't know what Sirius was saying and got along fine, you would too. But if you'd like the translations, here they are...(they're pretty basic, actually)  
  
Oringal: "Remus, usted tiene que ayudarnos! ¡Las muchachas hicieron esto a nosotros!"  
  
Translation:"Remus, you must help us! The girls did this to us!"  
  
Oringal: "Estoy intentando hablar en inglés!!"  
  
Translation:"I am trying to speak in English!"  
  
Oringal: "¿Es donde está siempre?"  
  
Translation:"It is where it always is?"  
  
Oringal:"¿Puede usted fijarlo?"  
  
Translation:Can if be fixed?  
  
Oringal: "¡Espera! ¡Espera! ¿Qué usted va a hacer?!  
  
Translation: Wait! Wait! What are you doing to do?!  
  
Oringal:"Remus! Usted rimó otra vez!"  
  
Translation:Remus! You made another rhyme!  
  
Oringal:"Lo lavamos apagado antes, cuando fuimos a comprobar nuestro pelo  
  
Translation:We washed it off before, when we went to check our hair?  
  
Oringal:"Voy a cerciorarme de cada de los dados de las muchachas de Gryffindor una muerte muy dolorosa antes de la edad de doce."  
  
Translation:"I am going to make sure each of the Gryffindor girls dies a very painful death before the age of tweleve."  
  
I think that's about everything that you couldn't figure out by yourself, lol. Hope that helps. 


	5. Heavenly Honeydukes

Dawn of the next day came early for the Gryffindors. The girls had a sleepless night of guilt and worry, tinged by paranoia, and the first year guys had a lot of planning to do. Revenge was in order, of course, and not only that. A plan was needed to show the Gryffindors that Sirius and James *weren't* the pricks Cleo had made them believe that they were.  
  
"I'm pretty sure the Howler from my dear ol' mum will take care of our reputations, Jimmy," Sirius said thoughtfully as they headed down for breakfast the next morning. "She's sure to leave no doubt that what I told the girls yesterday was true."  
  
"You think she'll send a Howler?" James asked dubiously. "Wouldn't that ruin the Black image?"  
  
Sirius frowned. "Probably. But I don't think she really cares at this point. No one important is at Hogwarts anyway."  
  
"True," James allowed, inwardly marveling at the infamous Mrs. Black. He had never met her, but had heard enough about her to make his skin crawl. Creepy women. Creepy family, for that matter.  
  
James sent Sirius a sideways look and Sirius grinned back. "What?"  
  
James just laughed. "I'm amazed you're as normal as you are, Sirius."  
  
Sirius chuckled. "If I'm what you call normal, I'd hate to hear what you call Evans."  
  
James immediately scowled. "You *don't* want to know."  
  
The two arrived at the Great Hall, walking over to Remus and Peter who were sitting down, talking, having arrived before the dynamic duo.  
  
"Mails here," Sirius said causally as the two pulled out their chairs, but James saw him tense and frowned, his eyes spotting Sirius's black owl eagle soaring in amongst the rest. At the other end of the table, Remus saw Lily's eyes narrow and fasten in on the four Gryffindor boys. (Frank was, once again, with the Hufflepuffs.) "So, Remmy, did you hear Sirius's idea to clean out the dungeons?" James said, determined to start a conversation.  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow. "You're cleaning the dungeons?"  
  
Sirius grinned. "No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. The hurricane we're letting loose in Perkin's classroom is cleaning the dungeon. We're just...helping it a long?"  
  
Peter choked on his pumpkin juice. "Sorry," he said, wiping his mouth on his leave. "But we're doing *what*?!"  
  
"Is it even possible to let a hurricane loose in the dungeons?" Lupin said wonderingly. "Maybe?" James said with a grin. "If anyone can manage it, we can," Sirius said confidently, his eyes still glued to his owl. It soared towards him, and unsurprisingly, dropped a smoking envelope into his lap. Sirius frowned grimly.  
  
"Well, that's a surprise." He said into the silence that followed. "Just open it, mate." James advised softly. As an afterthought he added, "And run."  
  
Sirius shook his head, his tone mockingly calm. "Oh, no. The girls wanted to hear it, I'd hate to deny them the opportunity. Oh, Lily darling!"  
  
Lily turned around, her face scornful. "What is it, Black?" she snapped.  
  
"I just thought I'd show you -- the letter from my dear mum has arrived!" Smiling serenely, he held up the Howler which was now smoking menacingly.  
  
Lily's mouth dropped open, as did her friends. Their eyes were fixed on the smoking Howler and Cleo finally said in a whisper, "Are you going to open it?"  
  
"No. He's going to eat it," James retorted, rolling his eyes. Cleo flushed.  
  
With a sigh, Sirius held the letter out in front of him. "Here goes," he whispered, and flipped the top open. At once, it sprung into the air, and Mrs. Black's voice, magnified a hundred times, filled the room. But unlike any other Howlers James and Remus had ever heard, or seen, Mrs. Black's voice was brusque and even, not screaming itself hoarse with fury, or disappointment. And as James slowly sat back and listened, he realized that was what hurt the worst. As he watched Sirius's reaction, he knew..it wasn't the biting words or the clipped tone...it was the cold indifference in her voice. She truly didn't care.  
  
"...I can hardly say that I'm surprised, " the Howler was hissing at Sirius. "I knew it all along that I had a failure in you, Sirius Black. Why couldn't you be more like Regulus? I have no doubt he'll make it into Slytherin. But not you. No, you have to go into Gryffindor, I ask you... You are a Black, are you not? The same blood that runs in my veins runs in yours? The same lessons I have been taught, you have learned? You are a Black, Sirius. Accept it and stop fooling yourself with this Gryffindor nonsense. You are a failure to the family as I am sure you well know. I hear Narcissa managed to make Slytherin."  
  
The whole Hall had quieted as Mrs. Black's voice continued, and over at the Slytherin table, Narcissa smiled smugly. James noticed disgustedly that Malfoy and Snape were doing there impressions of smiling proudly at her. He rolled his eyes, glaring at them.  
  
Remus glanced over worriedly at Sirius, whose face had remained in a twisted smile as his mother's voice continued to mock him. His face wasn't slightly flushed at all; he wasn't embarrassed...judging from the odd gleam in his eyes, Remus would say he was...proud...  
  
"Are you that unworthy of Slytherin that even your blood could not carry you in?" Mrs. Black continued, snapping. "And how dare you wait this long to tell us. It's cowardly. I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave..brave, muggle-loving, mudblood fools who are to weak to recognize power and honor for what they truly are! I shudder to find myself with a son who is counted among them. There will be no further need for correspondence with us until June. Stay with your mudblood friends at Hogwarts for the holidays. Your Aunt Andromeda sends her love. Goodbye."  
  
The Howler ended abruptly, curling up into flames and scattering into ashes on the table. Sirius smirked and leaned down and blew hard, so that the ashes scattered onto the floor, before reaching for some more pumpkin juice and a biscuit.  
  
"Sirius, are you--" James and Remus began in unison, but Sirus's waved them away. "I'm fine," he insisted, smiling. "I'm just realizing how great it is that I am no longer there, with *her*. That I'm here, where not even her Howlers can bother me."  
  
James grinned. "Plus, you have us here."  
  
Sirius pretended to consider this. "Well, yes I guess that is a minor down point, but I'm learning to live with it."  
  
James smacked him upside the head as Sirius laughed, but a sudden tap on his shoulder sent him spinning around. "Evans?" he exclaimed in surprise, but his eyes narrowed. "What do you want--"  
  
"We just wanted to say we're sorry. We really overreacted and you were right, you were telling the truth. And well--" the last bit seemed to cause her a great deal of effort to say, but eventually she forced it past her chewed lips. "We're glad you're in Gryffindor." She shot James a dirty look, as Laurel nudged her firmly before adding lamely, "that goes for you too Potter."  
  
Sirius considered this for a moment, making eye contact with Remus and James before nodding. "That's nice. Okay, kiddies, time for class!"  
  
Standing up and shoving a piece of toast into his mouth, with a smirk, he, James and Remus headed out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Wait a moment, that's it?" Lily exclaimed as they walked away. "No heartfelt thank you, even? Just a 'that's nice'?"  
  
Sirius threw her a glance over his shoulder and shrugged. "Yep."  
  
There was a dull shocked silence after his response, suddenly broken by Lily's hysterically paranoid shrieking, "SIRIUS BLACK, YOU EGOTISITICAL GIT! WE APOLOGIZED! YOU CANT PRANK US AFTER WE APOLOGIZED, YOU JUST CANT!"  
  
Sirius just grinned.  
  
"So, anyway," he said to Remus, ignoring Lily's continuous shrieks that followed them down the staircases, "I was thinking we get Moaning Myrtle to clog the plumbing for us--"  
  
"Moaning Myrtle?" Remus asked, confused. "Who in Merlin's name is Moaning Myrtle?"  
  
"The ghost who haunts the girl's bathroom. She's quite nice, actually, once you get her to stop blubbering about some poor fool named Oliver Cornby. Or was it Cronby? Well, it doesn't matter. Anyway, once that's done, when the rain starts to pour, it should flood within the hour--"  
  
"Why," Peter said slowly, "Were you in the girl's bathroom?"  
  
James chuckled and Sirius just shook his head, clapping his hand on Peter's shoulder, feeling oddly free. "Trust me," Sirius said slowly as they worked their way down towards the Professor Flitwick's classroom for Charms with the Hufflepuffs, "you don't wanna know."  
  
--------------  
  
"And it's swish and flick, students, remember, swish and flick!" tiny little Professor Flitwick urged from his perch atop several heavy textbooks thrown haphazardly onto a chair. "And don't forget the pronunciation, students!"  
  
James frowned, holding his wand out in front of him. With a swish, and a flick, he said clearly, "Wingardium Levosia!" The feather in front of him slowly, with the prompting of his wand, levitated in midair. Flitwick beamed. "See here now, Mr. Potter's done it! Well done, Mr. Potter, 5 points to Gryffindor."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Show off," he muttered as his feather slowly rose into the air. "Well done, Mr. Black!" Flitwick squeaked. "And Miss Evans!" he added as Lily's feather rose as well. "Well, come now, the rest of you!" he called turning to encourage the rest of the class.  
  
Remus frowned, prodding his feather with his wand. "Get--up--you--stupid--" he muttered between gritted teeth, his frustration at his not being able to perform the spell irking him while James and Sirius's feathers floated above his head.  
  
James grinned. "Come on now, Remmy, careful or you'll set your feather on-- "  
  
"Fire," Peter finished glumly as he regarded the flaming feather in front of him, raising his seared eyebrows. "Er, Professor! I think I need the hospital wing!"  
  
Flitwick raised his bushy eyebrows. "Nonsense, Pettigew. Just a simple extinguishing charm--" water spouted out of his wand and quickly put the fire out" -- and you're good as new!"  
  
"And my eyebrows, sir?"  
  
Flitwick frowned. "Occupational hazard, I'm afraid. They'll grow back."  
  
Peter groaned.  
  
"And it's swish, and flick..no, Remus, your flicking and then swishing. *Swish*, right there you go. And flick...and tada! Magic!" James prompted as Remus's feather finally floated over their heads.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius's brow was furrowed in thought. "Professor," he called out. "Does this spell work on levitating heavier objects as well?"  
  
Flitwick nodded. "Certainly," he yelped. "How else do you think those huge pumpkins have gotten into the Great Hall?"  
  
Sirius grinned, pointing his wand nonchalantly at Peter. "So if I were do to this...Wingardium Levosia!"  
  
Peter, with a look of horror on his face, floated into midair. "Sirius stop it! I hate heights! Sirius, you let me down NOW!"  
  
But Sirius was too busy waving his wand about like a conductor, spinning and twirling. And as his wand moved, Peter moved, dancing about, floating higher and higher and then so low that his feet brushed the floor, only to have his head bang the ceiling once more.  
  
"Mr. Black! Put him down at once!" Flitwick screeched, quite startled. "5 points from Gryffindor!"  
  
"Aw, alright, sir." Sirius said reluctantly, easing Peter back to the floor. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Peter lunged at Sirius, grabbing him around the collar and messing up his hair.  
  
"My hair!" Sirius moaned, shocked that Peter would retaliate.  
  
"Mr. Pettigrew!" Flitwick exclaimed in outraged shock. "That is quite enough!"  
  
"Yes, sir." Peter agreed docilely and sat back down. Sirius glared.  
  
The bell rang, and Flitwick rolled his eyes. "Well, yes, I hope the rest of the class managed the spell well enough and we're not all watching Mr. Black's little show--"  
  
The class snickered as they headed out the door.  
  
"...and just to be sure, we'll have a quiz tomorrow!"  
  
The class groaned.  
  
"Good one, Black," Lily huffed as she and her friends stormed past. "Oh, shove it, Evans." Sirius called back, yawning widely.  
  
--------  
  
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," James and Sirius said sunnily in unison as they entered the class. "What are you up too now?" She asked, instantly suspicious. Sirius shot her a mournful look. "Professor! Can't we even say good morning to you without ulterior motives?"  
  
She considered this for a moment before answering dryly, "No. Sit down."  
  
James shrugged, shouldered his bag, and Sirius sighed. "Everyone around this place is entirely too suspicious," he complained as they grabbed their seats in the back of the class.  
  
"Completely," James agreed, taking out a dung bomb and angling it under his desk.  
  
"I mean, what have we ever done to deserve this?"  
  
Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius grabbed a Filbuster Firework, aiming straight for Malfoy's behind.  
  
"Would you like a list?" he asked, but he was grinning. James shook his head. "I mean, its not what we've done.."  
  
"But what we're going to do," Sirius finished logically as James added, "That's what's got them quivering in their boots."  
  
"And with good reason," Peter said, his eyes wide.  
  
"Sirius, you're angling the blasted thing too far to the left," Remus told him out of the corner of his mouth. Sirius grinned, clapping Lupin on the back. "And this is why we love you, Remus," he said quite simply as he made the proper adjustments.  
  
Remus shook his head.  
  
"Now," Professor McGonagall began sternly, "today is a very important lesson, so no foolishness--" James and Sirius grinned and Remus just smirked "--we are learning to turn a toothpick into a needle. Now, if you'll just look up on the board..."  
  
"Ready?" Sirius asked with a devilish grin. James nodded, smirking. With a 'ompfh,' he tossed the dungbomb into the middle of the classroom. It exploded on impact, letting loose a horrible smell of rotting dung, as well as a huge dust cloud that hide the classroom from view for a moment.  
  
James hurriedly threw the rest of his fireworks and dungbombs onto the table, nodding at Remus. "Now," he urged. Remus sighed. "Wingardium Levoisa," he muttered, and the group of fireworks and bombs floated slowly in the air, with a flick and a swish, covered by the dung bomb dust, they slowly dropped into Lucius Malfoy's open bag.  
  
The dust cleared. Professor McGongall looked outraged. "You--" she sputtered, pointing at the very last row, where Sirius, James, Peter and Remus sat. The Slytherins sniggered but Sirius shook his head. "It wasn't us, Professor, honest!"  
  
"Turn out your bags, you four," she said firmly, tension on every line of her face. Very obediently, the four boys did so. The worse thing there was a grilled cheese Peter had been carrying around since last week. McGonagall looked shocked. Turning to the rest of the class, she began, "When I find out who did this--"  
  
Sirius muttered, "Diffindo!"  
  
And Malfoy's bag split at the seam, its contents pouring into the middle isle, right at McGonagall's feet. "Malfoy!" she shrieked. "You!"  
  
Malfoy looked shocked, staring at the dung bombs on the floor, then back at McGonagall's thunderous expression, then back to his bag. "Professor, I didn't--" he began wildly, but McGonagall shook her head. "No excuses! 30 points from Slytherin and detention tonight! 5 o clock, Mr. Malfoy, do not be late!"  
  
Malfoy's face burned. The boys in the back row chuckled.  
  
-----  
  
"I'd say the day was quite productive," Sirius said later as they walked out of their last class. "Considering Malfoy has detention tonight and we don't-- well, I'd agree." James said thoughtfully.  
  
Remus chuckled. "The look on McGonagall's face..." he said, trailing into thought.  
  
"Priceless," Peter agreed.  
  
"Password?" the Fat lady asked loftily. The boys started, having not realized they were already back at the Portrait hole. "Er--balderdash," Remus replied, and she swung open. They clamored in, still in their discussion about Malfoy. "I say, next time we get Snape, the greasy git--" James was saying, but he stopped suddenly.  
  
The Common Room had several people in it, due to the rain that was fiercely pounding against the window. Dark clouds raged outside the thick class, and lightening split the class, silhouetting a single shape as it rammed again and again into the window.  
  
"What is that?" Remus asked bewildered. "I think its...yeah, it is!" James said, as he opened the window, grabbing the tiny owl and bringing it inside. A burst of cold air came with the open window and several students glared, but he paid them no attention. "Whose that?" Peter asked curiously at the tiny screech owl James held in his hand. "It's my dad's," James explained. "I wonder why he didn't come with the morning mail though."  
  
"He's got a package," Sirius noticed as they moved towards the fire. "Open it, let's see."  
  
"It's got a letter too," Remus interrupted. "Open that first."  
  
"Alright," James agreed reaching for the envelope and package. As he removed it from the owl's outstretched leg, Courage quickly took flight again, this time heading to the Owlery.  
  
"Dear James," James read aloud in a soft voice. "Enclosed in the package is something my father passed down to me. It's very special, and I don't doubt you'll make good use of it. Don't open it where others can see -- this might be one secret you'll want to keep. That's why I've sent this at evening post rather then with the morning flurry. Use it well,  
  
Dad"  
  
"What do you suppose it is?" Sirius asked, his voice half hushed.  
  
"I dunno," James said quietly. "Let's go up to the dorm and see."  
  
The four boys hurried up the stairs, clamoring to open the package. When the door shut, James tore into it.  
  
A silvery cloak, light to the touch and yet large in size, fell to his feet.  
  
"Blimey," Sirius whispered.  
  
"Woah," Peter echoed.  
  
"Wicked," Remus added, his voice, like the others, hushed in awe.  
  
"What is it?" James asked bluntly, his brow furrowed.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "James, m'boy...this is the answer to all your pranking needs."  
  
"They're really rare though," Remus said wonderingly. "I've only read about them."  
  
"What haven't you read about, Lupin," James said, scratching his head. "Put -- what is it?"  
  
"Put it on," Sirius urged, and with a shrug, James did.  
  
"AWESOME!" Sirius burst out, grinning. "Can I fit under it too?"  
  
"What??" James asked bewildered. "Look in the mirror," Remus urged, grinning.  
  
James glanced in the mirror, looked away, then paused. Slowly, he looked again. "You guys," he said slowly, "why can't I see myself?"  
  
"It's an invisibility cloak!" Remus told him, beaming. Sirius was nearly jumping up and down from excitement. "Look its big enough to cover all four of us!"  
  
"Woah," James said, his voice hushed with awe as he threw it over all four of them.  
  
"This," James said softly, still staring at himself transfixed in the mirror, "is the best gift *ever*."  
  
---------------------------  
  
"Ouch, Black that was my toe--"  
  
"Peter, get your hand out of my pocket, I don't swing that way--"  
  
"I didn't know that was your pocket, I thought it was Remus's--"  
  
"Why do you wanna be in *my* pockets, Pettigrew?"  
  
"James, please tell me that's your leg--"  
  
"QUIET!" James hissed. It was midnight, of the same day, and the four boys were out trying their first escapade with James's new cloak, which suddenly seemed a lot smaller as they all tried to walk under it at the same time. Thunder still cackled from the storm outside, and though Sirius insisted that they head to the Qudditch pitch and try to transfigure the entire hurricane into a rock, Remus argued logically that they still didn't know if it was possible, and anyway, there were bound to be more storms, this was England, after all. Sirius had to agree at that.  
  
But now, their footsteps echoed eerily as the four made their way down the moonlight passage way. Two luminous eyes gleamed in the darkness ahead of them, and Remus caught his breath as Peter hissed what they were all thinking: "Does the cloak work on cats? It's Mrs. Norris!"  
  
Sirius growled low in his throat as he answered in a undertone, "If she ruins this for us I will personally make sure she regrets it."  
  
"Shut up!" James whispered frantically. But to their immense relief, the yellow eyes blinked once before slinking off into the shadows.  
  
"She's gone," Remus announced unnecessarily. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Nothing gets passed you, Rem."  
  
"So now where too?" James asked in a whisper. "Well, we still need to plan our revenge," Sirius reminded him and James nodded thoughtfully. "Yea, we do...but I was thinking...we should hold off on that for a day or two."  
  
"What? WHY?!" Sirius exclaimed, outraged.  
  
"It's more use that way! Think about it! They're completely paranoid...every time we say *boo* they shriek! Why relinquish that power so quickly? They'll all have ulcers before we even do anything!"  
  
"Potter, I think you may be on to something," Remus said thoughtfully. "That way, when we do get them, it's like a double whammy."  
  
Peter chuckled. "Whammy, I like that word."  
  
They all shot him sideways looks. "Right Pete."  
  
"How 'bout we try and find the kitchens?" James suggested. "I know they must be around here somewhere, and I'm hungry."  
  
"You're always hungry," Remus said with an air of disgust.  
  
Sirius smirked. "This is true. But come on, I think I heard some students talking about how it's behind some statue..?" He paused. "Or maybe they said painting."  
  
"Sirius," James said patiently as they continued down the corridor. "There are about 50 billion statues in this school."  
  
"James," Sirius said, just as patiently, "We have all night."  
  
And with a sigh, they agreed. Urged on by the rumbling of James's stomach, they tapped, prodded and pushed everything in sight. Finally, as the hour edged towards three, Remus yawned. "I think we should give up for tonight guys," he said reluctantly. "We still haven't found anything."  
  
"Hang on a minute," James said, paused. "I think I found something."  
  
He had paused besides a statue of an old, humped witch. He frowned. "Doesn't this statue seem too protrude into the aisle a little?"  
  
Remus frowned, and cocked his head to the side, studying it. "Now that you mention it, it does."  
  
Peter shook his head. "I don't see it," he whined. He was tired, hungry and cold. He was beginning to wish he had his slippers. The fluffy ones.  
  
"Try something," Remus urged and with a shrug, James slipped out of the cloak and leaned all his weight against the witch. Nothing.  
  
"Help me, Black," James panted as he continued to struggle. Both boys pushed and shoved for a good ten minutes, but nothing happened. "Maybe you need to use magic."  
  
"Okay then, but what spell?"  
  
"Maybe it's locked," Remus suggested, pulling out his wand. "Ahlohamora!" But nothing happened.  
  
"Stupid thing," James muttered, kicking the witch, then immediately wincing. "Ouch, not smart."  
  
Sirius's eyes lit up. "Pete," he said slowly. "You know that spell you used on us before?"  
  
"With the whipped cream?"  
  
"Yeah. What exactly did it do?"  
  
"It separates things."  
  
"Like whip cream from faces.." Remus continued and Sirius smiled. "And statues from walls."  
  
Peter frowned, puzzled. "What do you--"  
  
"Oh, never mind." Sirius said, impatiently, pushing him aside to stand directly in front of the witch. "How did it go again? Oh yes--" he cleared his throat. "Dissendium!"  
  
The witch slowly edged forward, spinning on its axes, revealing a hole large enough to admit a fairly thin person. The four boys stared at it.  
  
"Woah." James muttered.  
  
"Ditto."  
  
--------------------------  
  
About a half hour later though, after they had slid into the witch's tunnel and continued walking down the damp, dark, passage way, rather like something had burrowed in it, they were beginning to feel slightly less awe inspired.  
  
"Whose stupid idea was this anyway?" Peter grumbled.  
  
"Sirius's," answered James, who had taken the cloak off since it was no longer needed and was carrying it over his arm.  
  
"How much further do you think this goes?"  
  
"Who knows?" Sirius answered with a shrug. "For that matter, who knows where it goes?"  
  
"I thought we were going to the kitchens!" Peter exclaimed.  
  
"We *were*, mate," Sirius said slowly. "Before we found this tunnel. I doubt the kitchens are this far away."  
  
"Well, where is this tunnel going?"  
  
"I don't know, Pettigrew, do I look like a walking map?"  
  
"That's what we need," Remus said suddenly. "A map."  
  
James rolled his eyes. "Let's figure out where we're going first. *Then* we can make a map, okay?"  
  
"Do you think this tunnel ever ends?"  
  
"Sure." Sirius said reassuringly.  
  
"Well, *where* do you think it is?"  
  
"Once again, Pettigrew I am not a map."  
  
"Hey..look..stairs," James said suddenly, as the tunnel came to an abrupt halt. All four boys in unison raised their heads to follow the stairs with their eyes out of sight.  
  
"Should we follow it?" Remus asked uncertainly. James grinned. "Well, we've come this far, haven't we?"  
  
"Yeah, but maybe we should do this on a different night..." Remus said uneasily and Peter nodded in agreement. "I mean, we know this is here now and what if we get caught? It's really late, almost 3 o clock."  
  
"What if we get caught?" Peter said hesitantly. At once, James rolled his eyes. "Scaredy cats," he taunted. Turning to Sirius, he grinned. "You're with me, aren't you?"  
  
Sirius stared for a moment, his eyes on the stairs, and then he chuckled. "DO you have to ask? Race you to the top."  
  
Both boys sprinted up, climbing the stairs eagerly. Sharing a look of resigned fate, Peter and Remus followed much more slowly.  
  
A few minutes, and a lot of stairs later, they heard a dull thud. "Ow," James said, rubbing his sore head. "Aw, did Jamsie-poo hit his head?" Sirius taunted. "Shut up Black. I beat you to the top, didn't i?"  
  
Sirius considered this. "I let you win."  
  
"You did not."  
  
"Did too."  
  
"Did not. You're just mad because I'm quicker then you."  
  
"You wish you were Potter."  
  
"I could take you anytime, anywhere."  
  
"Oh yeah? You wanna go now--"  
  
"GUYS!" Remus exclaimed, and James and Sirius looked up. "What?" Sirius said innocently.  
  
"Could we open the door?"  
  
"Right," James said, coming back to his sense, glancing up at the trap door above him. He took a breath. "Here goes nothing," he muttered quietly.  
  
With a shove, the door fell back against the dusty floor, letting a wave of dust spray into the air.  
  
"Hand me the cloak," James hissed and Remus, who had grabbed it when it fell of James's shoulders when he began his sprint up the stairs, passed it up, his face anxious.  
  
James tossed it over his shoulders, as he raised himself out of the trap door, quiet as a mouse.  
  
"What is it?" Sirius whispered frantically. "Are we still on school grounds?" Remus asked anxiously. "Is it the kitchens?" Peter wanted to know.  
  
James pulled the cloak back so that only his face was visible, turning in slow circles, taking in everything with widened eyes. "Boys," he said very seriously, his voice low, a slow ecstatic grin working it's way across his face. "We've arrived in heaven. It's Honeydukes." 


	6. Beautiful Revenge

--------------------------  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for the uncharacteristic wait, everyone, this chapter had a lot in it that had to come together..I hope you like it!  
  
---------------------------  
  
That morning, with delightfully full stomachs and winsome smiles on their faces, the four Gryffindor boys slept. Cushioned by their wonderfully soft mattresses and comforted by their soft down pillows, morning went on with out them. The thick, heavy maroon curtains kept out all traces of sunlight, leaving them to the world of dreams and miracles. Frank, who got up in time for breakfast, went down to the Great Hall without them, but returned after breakfast to try and awake his peers before Potions. Nothing Frank did, shouting, screaming, dumping cold water on their faces, could do anything but rouse the boys for a few lousy minutes before they slipped back into sleep. Remus even fell asleep in the act of brushing his teeth, leaning over the sink with his head on his chest. Finally, Frank gave up and went down to breakfast alone.  
  
At around 2 o clock, James finally opened one eye. "Sirius," he groaned, the curtains around his bed still drawn "what time is it?"  
  
Sirius, still half asleep, snorted in reply.  
  
"We've missed breakfast," Peter replied sleepily.  
  
"We've missed Potions...and transfiguration..." Remus replied groggily. "Maybe we should get--"  
  
Suddenly, Sirius threw back his curtains and grinned like a maniac, the impression intensified by his hair, which was sticking straight up on oneside and by his crusty eyes.  
  
"I*VE GOT IT!" Sirius exclaimed, all traces of sleep gone as his shriek startled the four boys.  
  
"Got what?" Remus asked, rubbing his eyes as he too pulled back his curtains.  
  
"I got a migraine," James supplied, reaching for his bags of candy that he had left on his nightstand. "Nothing some sugar can't clear up."  
  
"Actually, you really shouldn't have sugar if you have a migraine--" Remus began, pulling the sheets off of himself.  
  
"Shove it, Remus." James said through a mouthful of chocolate frogs.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius glared at them, from where he was sitting on his bed. "Hello?" he exclaimed, and then grinned. "I've got it!"  
  
"Got *what*?" Remus repeated.  
  
"IT!"  
  
James shut his eyes wearily, and finished chewing his chocolate frog. He dropped his head back on the pillow and dragged the sheet back over his head. With his fist, he pushed his curtains shut. "Goodnight, Sirius."  
  
"REVENGE!" Sirius shouted gleefully, his voice ecstatic, bouncing off the stone walls of their round common room. The room seemed to shake with his voice, the poster of Puddlemere United Qudditch Team hanging near James's bed shuddering. One of the beaters stopped his flying to wave his fist menacingly at Sirius, but he ignored it.  
  
"Vengeance! Retribution! Settling of scores! Payback! Justice--"  
  
"WE GET IT!" Peter bellowed, uncharacteristically hushing Sirius. Sirius looked at him. Remus raised his eyebrows, and even James raised his head slightly at his out of character remark.  
  
Peter smiled weakly.  
  
"Anyway," Sirius said turning his back to Peter, ignoring him with a cold glance. "I have it--"  
  
"We know that Sirius."  
  
"--the perfect means of retribution against the girls. It's classic, it's brilliant, and I am a genius."  
  
James, from underneath the covers, spoke in a muffled voice. "Care to explain?"  
  
Sirius frowned suddenly. "It's kind of spiteful though. I mean, we'd be using their mother's against them--"  
  
Remus mouth dropped partially open. "Their mothers?!"  
  
"What makes you think their mothers would help us prank them?" James asked, peering sat Sirius through the covers. His dark hair was tousled, sticking straight up in the back, but that was pretty normal for James. He squinted at the blurry image of his friend, finally locating his glasses and shoving them on his face.  
  
"Well, my less then intelligent friend, they won't know they are aiding us Magical Mischief Makers."  
  
"And, my brainless buddy, what exactly are we, Magical Mischief Makers, going to be doing?"  
  
"Baby pictures!" Sirius exclaimed, beaming. "*Their* baby pictures, to be exact! We'll use the Muggle baby pictures, because they don't move, so the people in them can't hide. We'll replace them with every portrait in the school--"  
  
A slow smile was spreading across James's face. Remus, looking slightly apprehensive, slightly awed, was smirking. Peter was pouting because Sirius's back was turned to him, but he's not important anyways. (lol)  
  
"--we'll have them flash each girl's most embarrassing baby picture. And that's not all--"  
  
"Of course not," Remus muttered.  
  
"We'll also take our flashing little collage of Lilykins and darling Cleo, Laurel, Jessica and Em and put it on Hogwart's greatest stage..."  
  
"Hogwarts has a stage?" Peter asked stupidly.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "No, you nit-wit...The Enchanted Ceiling."  
  
Silence followed his words and he looked around, apprehensively. "Well?" he prompted, slightly let down that they weren't cheering and declaring this day Sirius Black Day. "What do you think?"  
  
"Sirius, m'boy," James said slowly, finally pulling his head out from the covers. "You are a genius."  
  
----------  
  
Immediately, the boys went to put their plan into action. Remus and Sirius were dispatched to the infirmary to acquire notes for why they had missed the days lessons (Sirius and James both agreed that, though they still had double Charms left, they could do with missing Flitwick's pop quiz) which Sirius and Remus would have to bribe Madam Pompfrey for. James and Peter headed towards the Owlery, to begin one what they liked to call Phase One.  
  
James immediately noted Courage had left already, cursing silently because he had wanted to write a thank you note to his dad. He would have to remember to do that later. Reaching for Apollo, Sirius's smaller, sleeker, no doubt more expensive owl, he handed him a biscuit, informing him with a smile, "We've got work to do."  
  
With parchment and a quill, he sat on one of the ledges, using his knees as a desk.  
  
"Dear Mrs. Evans, My name is James Potter and I am a close friend of your daughter Lily here at school. I am writing because of a little project we are doing here. For one of our classes at school, we are required to bring in baby pictures. I won't bore you with the magical details, but eventually we will get the pictures to move. I'm afraid Lily has forgotten to bring in hers, and was so embarrassed by the lecture the Professor gave her that she was ashamed to write home and ask. So, like the good friend I am, I thought I would do it for her. Any picture will do, but uncomfortable ones are best. Thanks again and please reply as soon as possible! --James"  
  
Peter stared intently and nodded at everything James said, and just as James was finishing reading aloud, Sirius and Remus walked in, clutching several sheets of paper. James could just make out Madam Pompfrey's messy scrawl on them, excusing the four boys from class. "Did you get them?" He asked.  
  
Remus nodded, grinning. "Lovely letter, by the way."  
  
James grinned and gave a mock bow, handing the letter to Sirius. "I know, brilliance."  
  
Beaming, Sirius tapped his wand to the sheet of paper and then tapped it on four other blank pieces of paper. The entire letter, minus the words 'Evans,' and 'Lily' appeared on the paper. Sirius quickly filled in the other girl's names, then attached Lily's letter to Apollo's leg. With a soft, affectionate hoot and a playful nip of Sirius's fingers, Apollo took flight, his glossy black feathers fading into the distance of the bright, biting fall day. They used school owls for the other 4 letters, and very soon, Phase One was completely underway.  
  
-------------------  
  
"Oh, isn't that sweet!" Rose Evans cooed, holding a slightly weathered letter in her perfectly manicured hands. She leaned out, shutting the bay window and ushering in a tiny black owl. "If you wait just one minute," she told it hesitantly, unsure if it could understand her, it's gold eyes watching her intelligently, "I'll have your reply." The owl cooed softly and Rose smiled, deciding to take that as a yes.  
  
She walked out of the living room, glancing back at the owl one last time as if to make sure he wasn't about to steal her china. Pausing thoughtfully, she walked into the den, to a broad mahogany trunk with silver lining next to the television. Charles Evans, her husband, a prominent looking man with light brown hair and emerald eyes, looked up. "Rose, darling, what are you doing?" he asked, a tad bit impatient as she stood in front of the television set where he was trying to watch ESPN. "It's for Lily, sweetheart," she explained, scooting out of the way and heaving the top of the chest open, revealing several dusty but full photo albums. She reached for the top one, and frowned. "No, this isn't it," she muttered to herself. Reaching in, she pulled out a photo album cast in bubble gum pink, with tiny frills and bows. "Ah, here it is!"  
  
"Lily?" Charles questioned his expression changing immediately from impatience to one of distinct pride as he regarded his tiny wife, with her flaming red hair and dark eyes. "Has she written then?" He asked, glancing at the letter his wife still held in her hands. "No, one of her friends has," Rose explained, smiling fondly as she glanced down at a picture of three year old Lily in the bathtub. "Well, darling what do they want?"  
  
"Pictures. Apparently Lily forgot she needed them and left them at home, so a nice boy named James decided to write us and ask for them so she wouldn't get in anymore trouble. Sweet, isn't it?"  
  
"A boy?" Charles grumbled. "She's 11!"  
  
"They're just friends, Charley, honestly." Rose said, a smile in her voice. "Ah, here we are!" she proclaimed, straightening.  
  
She held up a normal sized photo of a tiny girl who looked to be about two years old. The girl was shirtless, bald, beaming a toothy grin, her emerald eyes squinting. Her face was covered in chocolate and she had a bright yellow rain hat on. Spittle of drool worked its way down her chin, and one finger looked precariously close to being shoved up her nose.  
  
"It's perfect," Rose grinned fondly. Charley raised a brow. "You sure Lily wants that picture floating around her school?"  
  
Rose scoffed. "Of course. It's adorable."  
  
Charley shook his head and reached for the remote again. "If you say so, darling."  
  
--------------  
  
Back at Hogwarts, Frank Longbottom was just strolling back towards the Gryffindor Common Room, fresh from his last class, Potions. He chose the long way to the Gryffindor Common Room from the dungeons because he meant to stop by the Great Hall and see if anything was left over from lunch, which he had skipped because he had been trying to wake his lazy friends up. Whistling a new tune he had heard on Wizarding Wireless, smirking to himself when he imagined Remus's reaction when he heard they had a quiz tomorrow in Transfiguration, he was in all actuality, a very good mood. His dark eyes glittered with happiness as he recalled all the good things about Hogwarts...he met new friends...he got away from his overbearing mother...he learned new things...and abruptly, a cold voice behind him reminded him very suddenly of some of the bad things about Hogwarts.  
  
. "Where you going, Longbottom?" Lucius Malfoy's sharp voice drawled. "Don't want to stay and play?"  
  
Frank restrained from rolling his eyes, but slowly turned around. His eyes widened. Not only was it Lucius Malfoy, but Snape, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Avery, Manicar, and a selection of other Slytherins Frank didn't know. He didn't *want* to know them, for that matter. His hand very casually slipped to his wand as he regarded the malicious, almost hungry look on their faces.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked, his voice rather calm and steady though his heart was beating inside his chest.  
  
Lucius raised one blonde brow. "Want, Longbottom?" he said easily. "What I want...well, that's a very general question, don't you agree, Snape?"  
  
Snape smiled forbiddingly. "Very."  
  
"What do I want," Lucius continued musing, his eyes now narrowed dangerously. His voice echoed in the empty corridor, and Frank was suddenly very, very sorry he'd decided to take the long way to the Gryffindor Common Room, down a long lonely corridor that anyone rarely took. "What I want is to make Black and Potter pay for getting me detention and making me a laughing stock yesterday," Lucius said suddenly. "What I want is to hurt Black and Potter."  
  
Frank raised his eyebrows, his sweaty hand gripping his wand tightly now and he slowly took it out of his robes to let it dangle loosely at his side. He saw Snape's eyes fasten on it as he questioned bravely, "Oh yes? What's that got to do with me?"  
  
"Well," Lucius drawled still, and his minions took a step tighter together. "I"ve decided something about Black and Potter. Do you know what is it?"  
  
Frank frowned, and took a slight step backwards. "I haven't got time to play your games, Malfoy," he snarled. "Just go back to that hole you crawled out of."  
  
"Manners, Longbottom, manners," Lucius taunted, his eyes gleaming suddenly. "Don't you want to know what I've found out about Black and Potter?"  
  
"What?" Frank spat.  
  
"The easiest way to them," Lucius hissed softly, and Snape raised his wand. The others soon followed. Frank raised his uneasily, preparing to fight or flee. "Is through others. And since you're the first one of their friends, we've found...well..." he smiled sadistically. "We're going through you."  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" Snape bellowed at the same time Frank yelled, "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Snape's wand flew out of his hand, but Lucius was ready and before Frank could react, quickly repeated the same spell Snape had spoken moments before. Avery, on his right, thundered, "Densaugeo!" While Nott hissed, "Furnunculus!"  
  
Frank fell, frozen, backwards, laying face up as Lucius causally handed Snape back his wand, smiling. Frank tried to frown, but found he couldn't, and suddenly felt the oddest sensation in this mouth. He glanced down at his teeth, which were suddenly growing at an alarming rate, past his chin and down to his chest, realizing one of the spells he had just been hit with had been a hex. Unfortunately, he also began to feel a peculiar and a tingly feeling on his skin, realizing boils were popping out everywhere. Had he been able to, he would have groaned.  
  
"Well, well, well," Lucius hissed smirking, "Are we ready to play now?"  
  
Frank could only stare up helplessly as they turned and left him there, great ugly boils popping out of his skin in every which direction and his front two teeth now well past his knees. They sniggered, apparently greatly pleased with themselves.  
  
----------------  
  
Up in the dormitory, Remus, James, Peter and Sirius were all having a hushed discussion, sitting on Remus's bed, the thick curtains half drawn.  
  
"The only thing is how do we get all the pictures on every portrait in the school?"  
  
"A Simple switching spell can take care of that," James assured them, but Remus arched a brow. "Switching spells? That's 4th year work it is, isn't it?"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "It's Transfiguration though; it's bound to be easy. What I'm worried about is how we get it up on the Enchanted Ceiling."  
  
"Well, we don't have to put it on the Enchanted Ceiling, rather we can put it *over* it...Use an enlargement charm and then put a Hoover charm on it..."  
  
"Brilliant," James grinned. "Now when do you think--" But he was suddenly interrupted by a loud rap on the window. He exchanged a startled look with his friends. "It couldn't be the owls back already, could it?"  
  
Remus shook his head. "It must be an owl for Frank; go get it, Potter."  
  
"Oh, alright." James climbed down from the bed and over to the window, reaching out and grabbing with his fists a tiny little ball of feathers rapping loudly on the window. It hooted excitedly, sticking out its leg, apparently very proud of itself. James chuckled. "Yes, yes good job. Now go on up to the Owlery, I haven't a food for you here."  
  
With a reproachful peck, the owl took flight, leaving several letters in James's hand. Tearing the top one open, James's eyes widened slightly as he skimmed the first paragraph. "There from his mum," James said in a would be casual voice. "I'll go see if he's in the Common Room then, Potions ended about 45 minutes ago."  
  
"Alright," Remus said absently, his nose buried in a book where he was trying to find the incantation for a Hoover Charm. Sirius read over his shoulder, while Peter glanced at James. "I'll come with you!" he offered. James shrugged. "If you want."  
  
Together they headed downstairs, but Frank was no where to be seen. "Oy, anyone seen Longbottom?"  
  
Lily looked up, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to be deathly ill, Potter?"  
  
James ignored her. "Have you seen Frank lately?"  
  
"Who wants to know?"  
  
James rolled his eyes, exasperated. "The Easter bunny. *I* want to know!"  
  
"Didn't know you were masquerading as the Easter bunny, James."  
  
"Evans, just shut up. Was Frank in Potions, Em?"  
  
Em rolled her eyes but nodded.  
  
"Did you see which way he went after?" James persisted. Laurel spoke up. "Yes, actually. He took the long way to the Gryffindor tower because he wanted to go past the Great Hall."  
  
James's brow furrowed, the letters clutched tightly in his hand. "Why? Is something wrong?" Cleo spoke up, but James waved them away. "Nothing I can't handle," he answered absently, heading towards the Portrait hole. Lily rolled her eyes. "See what I mean!" She exclaimed loudly. "He thinks he's superman!"  
  
James, with Peter following close behind, set off down towards the dungeons. "Is everything alright, James?" Peter asked worriedly and James shrugged. "Frank's dad is really sick. I thought he might want to know."  
  
Peter just nodded. "Will his dad be alright?"  
  
James shrugged, his mouth open as if to reply, before he stopped dead.  
  
"What is it?" Peter asked, banging into him from behind. James broke into a dead run.  
  
"Frank! Frank! Are you alright?!" James quickly fell to his knees at Frank's side, where Frank had been lying in the middle of the corridor, his teeth at his ankles as his face almost undistinguishable but for his normally bright eyes, which were currently clouded over with rage.  
  
Frank merely looked at him, and James shook his head. "Frank? Talk, buddy, it's okay now."  
  
"He can't..." Peter said with dawning comprehension. "Malfoy's put the full- body-bind on him."  
  
James looked up, incredulously, his hazel eyes begins to see the sparks of cold fury. "How do you know?"  
  
"He's done it to me before," Peter said miserably. "Last week. But Frank found me before you guys did and promised not to say anything."  
  
James's eyes were with shock. "Why didn't you want us to know?"  
  
Peter just shrugged.  
  
James sighed. "I think I know the counter-curse," he said thoughtfully. "But if its not it, you may end up growing a second head."  
  
Frank's eyes widened, but slowly he brought his pupils up and down, signaling a nod. "Yes?"  
  
Frank just continued to bob his pupils.  
  
"Okay." James quickly preformed the spell, and Frank at once sagged to the floor, his hands flying to his face and teeth.  
  
"My feefth--" he muttered furiously. " 'ook fhat fey fid fo my feefh!" (Look what they did to my teeth!)  
  
"I know, bud," James said heavily, throwing his arm around Frank to help him to walk. Peter too slipped a arm under Frank's, heaving him up to his feet. "We'll take you to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey will fix you right in a jiffy."  
  
Quickly they headed up to the infirmary, down the long gray halls until they found the large room. Madam Pomfrey was bustling about, making some potion or another, but she dropped the vial she was holding when she saw Frank come in the door. "Merciful Merlin!" she exclaimed. "What in the gods name happened to you?" Whirling on James, she said suspiciously, "What did you do to him?!"  
  
James shook his head, immediately. "Madam Pomfrey, would I do that?" he asked, flashing her his charming grin. Her stance melted a little. "No, it was Malfoy and his slimy gang of Slytherins."  
  
"It fas, Fadam Fomfrey, fonest!" Frank exclaimed, clutching his teeth. She patted his back consolingly. "Don't worry, Frank, I'll be sure to speak to Perkins about it."  
  
At the mention of Perkins, James and Frank both rolled their eyes, but Madam Pomfrey pretended not to notice. She eased Frank onto a bed, and held up a mirror. "I'm going to shrink your teeth back to normal," she told him. "Just tell me when to stop."  
  
Soon, Frank's teeth were back to normal, but his boils had begun to puss and she frowned. "No quick fix for those, I'm afraid," she said, almost sympathetically. "You'll have to spend the night in the hospital wing."  
  
Frank groaned as she held out a white jar of salve. Smoothing it all over his face, arms and legs, he laid down stiffly. "This'll make for a fun night," he said grumpily.  
  
James grinned. "I'll bring you some chocolate frogs later."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Frank said curiously. "How'd you get those?"  
  
"Well," Peter interjected, "we were wandering about last night with--"  
  
"With Sirius and Lupin and we found someone's secret stash," James filled in hurriedly. Peter shot him a puzzled look, but said no more. "By the way," James said, eager to change the subject, "you got some letters. That's why we came looking for you."  
  
"Thanks," Frank said, cocking his head and indicating James should leave them on the bedside table. "I'll open them later."  
  
James did as he asked, but couldn't take his eyes off Frank's. In the backround, he could hear Madam Pomfrey consoling someone, "Don't worry dearie, they'll grow back on. It's an occupational hazard, you see."  
  
"But Frank," he said softly after a moment, "what happened?"  
  
Frank sighed. "I was coming back from Potions and I met Malfoy..Snape..Avery, Crabbe, Nott,..you know, his usual posse. I tried to head them off with expelliarmus, but there were too many of them," he finished miserably.  
  
"Aw, Frank," James said consoling him. "Don't worry about it. We'll make sure they get what they deserve," he promised immediately. As an afterthought, he asked suddenly, "Why'd they attack you, anyway?"  
  
Frank glanced at him for a moment, his dark eyes flickering into James', and James paused. Sudden comprehension dawned on his handsomely boyish face, as he asked in a hushed voice, "it was because of us, wasn't it?"  
  
Frank didn't answer. "They're trying to get at us through our friends, aren't they?" James pressed, now positive, taking Frank's silence as a yes.  
  
Again, Frank was silent. "I'll see you guys back at the Common Room," he said sullenly. "I'm going to be here for a while."  
  
"Frank, is that it?" James insisted, ignoring his subtle dismissal. Frank sighed and with a shrug, gave the barest of nods.  
  
James let out such a vehement exclamation that Madam Pomfrey shrieked to drown out the rest of his words. "LANGUAGE!" she shrieked, "LANGUAGE, JAMES POTTER!"  
  
James looked up sheepishly. "Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," he mumbled. She glared at him.  
  
James leaned closer to Frank, their eyes locked. "I'm going to get them back for you," he said severely. "I promise."  
  
"James, don't--" Frank began, but James shook his head, taking in the picture of one of his good friends covered in boils and healing lotion because of the Slytherins. The elven year old boy suddenly felt very old. Reaching back and messing up his hair, a habit he tended to have when he got nervous or angry, he gave a lopsided grin, standing at Frank's bedside. His robes were crooked and tousled from heaving Frank up the stairs and added to his messy, disorganized air, but somehow it just made him seem quirkier. "So, Chocolate Frogs or Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"  
  
Frank studied him for a moment, taking in the cold fury in the lines of James's face, ignoring his laughing grin. "James, you don't have to do anything for me."  
  
James just smiled. "Chocolate Frogs it is then."  
  
--------------  
  
Sirius wiped his eyes, his stomach aching from laughing so hard. He rolled off the bed with a dull, 'thump', the 8 by 4 picture still clutched tightly in his hand. "Careful not to crumple it," Remus warned through his chuckles, glancing down at his friend from his perch on the bed. Sirius grinned, rolling on the floor to straighten up to his feet, letting out a laugh like a bark as he glanced down at the picture of 2 year old Lily Evans he held in his hands.  
  
"This is one of my greatest ideas yet," Sirius said, through his chuckles as he handed the picture back to Remus.  
  
"Thank goodness their parents are prompt," Remus muttered as he regarded all five pictures he held in his hand, each more embarrassing then the next. "Otherwise this could have gone on all year."  
  
Sirius was about to reply when James threw open the dormitory door with a bang. Muttering furiously to himself he stalked over to his trunk, tore out a book, and threw himself on his bed. Slamming the curtains closed, they could just hear his heavy breathing and furious snips of words like "no good greasy git" and "oh, purple bubbles, bet you'd like that".  
  
Sirius and Remus glanced at each other. "James?" Sirius ventured carefully. "Everything alright."  
  
They heard him slam the book shut and his furious mutterings continued, but there was no reply. A second later, Pettigrew walked in sheepishly. "Pete," Sirius said calmly, one eye on James's bed. "What the hell just happened?"  
  
"We found Frank," Peter said unhelpfully and Remus rolled his eyes. "Did you get into a row?" he said wonderingly, but that didn't make sense. James would never talk that way about Frank, no matter how furious he became. James had a very high opinion of Frank, Remus could tell by the way James listened when the smaller had something to say and always took it into consideration. But then what..  
  
"Longbottom had a little rendezvous with Malfoy," Peter explained grimly, plopping down on Remus's bed. "We found him in the full body bind, with his teeth down past his knees and boils popping up all over the place."  
  
Sirius face paled, then flushed with fury and Remus's mouth dropped open. "But..Malfoy..Frank can take Malfoy! He's excellent at DADA!" (Defense Against the Dark Arts)  
  
"Yeah, but it wasn't just Malfoy. Snape, Avery, Not and Crabbe and Goyle helped too, I expect. He was outnumbered by a lot."  
  
"Okay," Sirius allowed, "so he was outnumbered. And Malfoy's a git, we know that. This is nothing new. Why's James so upset?"  
  
Peter looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's more the reasons behind the hexing that got James in a foul mood."  
  
They heard a scoff from behind the curtains and Remus and Sirius exchanged looks. "'Foul mood'" Sirius echoed. "I think that's an understatement."  
  
"Peter, what are you going on about?" Remus said, frowning.  
  
"Malfoy attacked Frank to get to Sirius and James," Peter admitted hastily. "That's what got James so upset."  
  
Sirius froze. "What did you say?" he asked slowly. Remus watched carefully, his face suddenly very pale. "Frank was attacked because Malfoy knew it would piss you and James off," Peter explained miserably again. "Frank never would have told James, but Potter wouldn't let up."  
  
Sirius was very still. "James," he said, sounding very serious. "Get out from your bed. This is no time to be hiding."  
  
James flipped the curtains back slightly, so that his face was at least visible. "What are we going to do?" He asked, his voice as quiet as Remus had ever heard it. "They won't get away with this."  
  
"We need a prank," Remus said suddenly. "A good one -- well thought out."  
  
"I say we stroll right up to those slimy, repulsive gits and WHAM!" Sirius made punching gestures in the air, but James shook his head. "We'll be expelled if we do that mate. No, we need something trickier...we need to get in their Common Room."  
  
"And then do what?"  
  
James frowned thoughtfully, his face half cast in shadow. "We could..um..."  
  
Suddenly, a pearly white ghost floated through the wall. He looked to be about 40, but his ruffled shirts and pants betrayed that he hadn't been counted among the living for a very long time. Nearly Headless Nick, resident ghost of the Gryffindor tower, at your service. His translucent light lit up the small room, playing strangely off of the serious faces of the usually cheerful young boys.  
  
"Hullo, Nick," James said glumly.  
  
"Why, hello, Mr. Potter," Nearly Headless Nick said politely, seeming pleased to see him. "Is Mr. Longbottom about?"  
  
"Why?" Sirius said instantly, and Nick, looking quite taken aback, answered, "I have a message for him from Dumbledore."  
  
"Well, he isn't here," Peter snapped. "He's in the hospital wing."  
  
"Why?" Nick asked, looking quite alarmed.  
  
"He's sick," James answered shortly. Nick raised his eyebrows but nodded. "Ah," he said carefully. "I see. Well, I'll just be going then--"  
  
"Wait!" Remus exclaimed, as if struck with a sudden idea. Nick stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Nick...you know where the Slytherin Common Room is, don't you?"  
  
Nick looked apprehensive. "Yes..I know where all the Common Rooms are."  
  
Remus smiled. "Perhaps you can help us then...."  
  
---------------------  
  
That night, the boys worked like they had never worked before. They studied new charms and hexes, practiced and toiled, created and discovered. They even skipped dinner to continue in their planning -- well, Peter did sneak down to the Great Hall and grab a biscuit, but Peter was really more in the moral support group then the active planner group anyway. By the time 10 o clock rolled around, all four boys were ready to topple over from exhaustion. The amount of effort they had put forth was staggering, and it still wasn't done. Sirius was just in the middle of trying to work a Silence charm that muffled footsteps instead of just voices, when his eyes slouched over. He slumped against the wall, sleeping standing up until James used magic to help him into his bed, complaining loudly about how there was so much work still to be done, how could Sirius be sleeping at a time like this? When he turned around, however, he saw Remus too had suddenly lost consciousness, his hair falling into his eyes as his head fell forward onto his chest. James sighed, groaning loudly, knowing once Remus was asleep there was nothing on heaven and earth that could move him until he was ready. Shrugging, he grabbed his Charms book, positioning himself on the cold, hard floor to keep him awake. The candle light danced off the pages, casting a comforting orange glow into the tiny room and suddenly, James's eyes felt very heavy...he couldn't keep them up much longer. He tried to focus on the words, reading aloud to himself, "Switching spells are a form of transfiguration..." but before the end of the sentence he too was asleep. Of Peter, you ask? Well, he'd been sleeping since 9.  
  
But at midnight, thunder snapped and cackled through the sky. Peter gave a sharp yelp, his eyes snapping open as he glanced around worriedly, trying to locate the source of the obnoxious noise. The candles had burnt out, and outside the window the world as dark and cold. His small, pointed eyes found the pane, rain slashing in driving sheets against the glass. Lightening split the sky and Peter's eyes opened wide as the room was illuminated.  
  
On the floor, two stacks of photos piled up, almost ready to topple over, but not quite. Every few seconds the photo would flash a different picture. As Peter watched, it changed from a little girl in a rain hat to a chubby baby naked in the bath, her thumb in her mouth. Next to it was a list of charms and incantations, presumably ones to help in their revenge of the girls, Peter assumed as even from his bed he could see, in Sirius's messy scrawl, the words "Hoover Charm". Next to that was a rough drawing of a map, hastily done but nonetheless effective. It led straight from the Great Hall to the Slytherin Common Room along with the word, "Gallons." Peter didn't understand what Gallons had to do with the Slytherin Common Room, but maybe he was reading it wrong. A 4th year Transfiguration book and a 3rd year Charms book lay open to random pages. Peter yawned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as the full makings of his friends plans came back to him. Tonight was the night it would all happen, he thought grumpily, his mind on the sleep he could be having, and his friends weren't even up.  
  
He rectified that in a few minutes though, and though they were grumpy, the Gryffindor boys were awake and ready. Yawning, James grabbed his cloak, passing it to Sirius, who was blinking rapidly, his eyes shining with excitement in the eerie glow of the lightening.  
  
"You know what to do," he mumbled to Sirius and Remus, who out of the four, had the hardest jobs. They nodded tensely.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
--------  
  
Three hours and 2 floors later, James and Peter were near collapse. "How many more do we have to do?" Peter groaned, glancing down at the photos in his arms. The pile had diminished greatly but there were still about 20 left, and Peter was so tired that the cold stone floor was beginning to look comfortable. Peter and James, since they didn't have the invisibility cloak, had to work in silence and stealth, slipping in and out of shadows, holding their breath when Filch past and praying that no one heard them.  
  
But so far, their plan had been a complete success. The completely embarrassing photos of the girls had been switched with every portrait in Hogwarts that James and Peter could find, minus the portraits that guarded the portrait holes (Thanks to Nearly Headless Nick, they knew which ones these were) because otherwise no one would be able to get in to their dormitories. The people in the portraits, those who were awake for that matter, were quite disgruntled when they saw another picture being placed over there's, but James, smiling charmingly and looking innocently abashed, explained the reason and made a deal with all of them that the pictures would fade away come tomorrow at Midnight, a nifty little charm Remus had uncovered. Looking back at the candle lit corridor, a slight orange glow shining softly, James could just make out 9 Portraits, all of which showed a nonmoving picture of a little girl standing on her head. Her bright yellow dress with polka dots had fallen down to reveal underwear with a bright purple dinosaur on them ("Barney," Peter had explained, then paused at the look on James's face. "It's a Muggle thing.") Her dress was long, but stopped just under her chin, showing the squished, red face of a otherwise cute little blonde. On top of the picture, in Sirius's messy scrawl, the letters shining softly because James had placed a simple Illuminating Charm on them, it read, "Laurel of Gryffindor. It's a girl thing." As James watched, grinning, the picture switched to a girl, asleep in her bright pink crib. A puddle of drool was gathered around her pillow and her hair was sticky from it. Her eyes were half open, her mouth still drooling slightly, and she was clutching her teddy tightly. "Emmeline -- Yes, that's really her name," it read in the corner. James grinned, motioned to Peter, and they quickly headed back towards the shadows. "Only a few more left," James assured Peter, who gave a dramatic sigh of relief as thunder clapped. "Almost done..."  
  
--------------  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus were having a bit of a more difficult time even with the Invisibility Cloak. Filch seemed to be lurking wherever they needed to be, and Snape was hovering around the Slytherin Common Room. How were they suppose to whisper the password, ("Gallons"), and climb through the Portrait Hole without Snape noticing the portrait was miraculously opening by itself? They waited until 1:30 until Snape finally slithered off -- what he had been doing standing around the whole time Remus and Sirius didn't know, or care.  
  
The Slytherin Common Room was cold, and unwelcoming. A dull fire was lit, but its soft embers provided barely any heat and light. In the corner, two shapes were blending into one shadow and strange sucking sounds could be heard. Remus merely raised his eyebrows but Sirius couldn't suppress a snicker and immediately, the shadows broke apart.  
  
"Whose there?" a voice growled, and it sounded strangely familiar. Remus and Sirius both exchanged horrified looks and stopped dead, right in front of the stairs as Lestrange glared around the empty room. "Well?" he prompted impatiently.  
  
A girl's voice, purposefully soft and comforting, whispered in reply. "Oh, come on, you're imagining it, now one's there." She moved out of his embrace to give a quick glance around the room, and the firelight, however dim, cast her features into sharp relief. She was pretty, Remus observed, but something about her eyes...heavy lidded and cold...stole much of her beauty.  
  
Sirius gagged. "Ew!" he muttered silently as the two went back to whatever they were doing, convinced they were quite alone. "What is it?" Remus breathed as they tried to remain still. "That's my cousin! Bellatrix!" Sirius said, his voice disgusted. Remus shot him a look. "How many cousins do you have around here?" he asked, partially amazed. Sirius rolled his eyes.  
  
They waited a few more minutes, then tiptoed up the stairs to the First Year dormitory.  
  
Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Snape and Malfoy were all sound asleep. Sounds of their breathing and loud, obnoxious snoring assaulted the pair of Gryffindors as soon as they opened the door. Sirius took one look around, his nose wrinkled in disgust, and set to work.  
  
-------------  
  
An hour and a half later, everything was complete. The sheets were died gold and red, Malfoy had red streaks in his beautiful mane of platinum blonde hair and all of their robes sported proud pictures of Gryffindor Lions chowing down on Slytherin Snakes. And the best part was that the spells weren't visible to anyone who slept in that dormitory -- another of Remus's nifty little discoveries.  
  
But Sirius's favorite part was his added little touch. Sneaking over to Snape's bedside, he waved his wand. Gold sparks shot out, forming gold letters. Sirius whispered something inaudibly and the glowing letters, now forming the phrase, "I COULD TELL MY PARENTS HATED ME WHEN THEY GAVE ME A TOASTER TO PLAY WITH IN THE BATH" melted themselves onto Snape's forehead.  
  
Slipping over to Avery, Sirius did the same thing, except the letters were silver and the formed the phrase, Somebody's boring me. I think it's me.  
  
Sniggering to himself, Sirius made his way around the room, while Remus shook his head, laughing silently. Phrases such as, "There is something about me that makes a lot of people want to throw up," and "I could have been a much bigger fool than I am now, but I lacked ambition." or "I spent all day yesterday hitting myself. You see, I hate everybody and I'm no exception," (that one was for Malfoy) quickly tattooed themselves onto the Slytherin's faces.  
  
As they headed out the door, Sirius paused. It was just so...beautiful. How could they let a thing like this go unclaimed?  
  
But if they left a mark, Perkins, that git, would find a way to trace it back to them and they would probably be expelled. No, it was best this way.  
  
But soon enough, the pranks would be become so frequent and outrageous, that everyone knew it could only be one innocent little group of boys, often at times found collaborating right under their noses.  
  
Sirius smiled. Yes. It was just so beautiful. 


	7. Take your Bow

The scream started deep within the school, in ones of its darkest dungeons. It spread throughout the Slytherin Common Room as the morning light crept in, waking those from their sleep and rousing them to meet their horrible fate. It spilled over into the corridors, this time punturced by laughter as Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs already on their way to breakfast spotted the hexed Slytherins, roaring with laughter. The scream merged into a roar of outrage as Lucius Malfoy and his git friends got the full realization of what attacking a Gryffindor when James and his cronies were around. It melted into a gleefully laughing whisper as the rumor passed throughout the school. "_ Have you heard? Potter and his friends hexed the Slytherins!"_

It was picked up in the hallway right outside of the Gryffindor Common Room. High-pitched screams that can only be properly screeched by owls and teenaged girls managed to awake the rest of the castle as the Gryffindor Girls realized that pranking the boys was truly not worth it. 

By the time James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had awoken, their legend had preceded them. But they didn't know that -- all they knew, was their first class was Potions and they had homework and it wasn't done. 

James brushed his messy black hair out of his eyes and yawned. Sirius, who was already up and brushing his hair at James's mirror, since his own wouldn't stop flirting with him, groaned. "Ew, James -- save us. Brush your teeth."   
  
James chucked a pillow at Sirius's head, but the eleven year old ducked deftly, and the pillow soared over, slapping Remus in the face. He responded with a particularly loud grunt.   
  
James rolled his eyes, slipping out of his bed and stretching, his soon to be trademark grin spreading across his face. "Wonder if the Slytherins had a good morning." Sirius flashed him a smile. "I'm sure it's one their never going to forget." "What time is it?" Peter mumbled, half asleep, roused by the other boys talking. "Time to get up," James advised as he headed to the bathroom to take care of his minor -- er, right -- breath problem. Remus opened one eye. "Some of us are trying to sleep."   
  
Sirius shot him a look. "Mate, if you don't move soon, we're gunna miss breakfast."  
  
Remus picked his head up. "Is it good food today?"   
  
James, ruffling his hair up as he re-entered the room, rolled his eyes. "It's always good Remus. Get your lazy arse out of bed."  
  
Remus considered this, his body still burrowed in his blankets. "Good point," he allowed .  
  


---------------------------------------

In relatively quick time, for them anyways, the four boys were up and moving. Maybe it was anticipation to see how their pranks worked out; maybe they were just really hungry, but all four boys were particularly out of it as they walked down to the Great Hall. They ignored the flashing portraits, the high-fives and congratulatory pats on the back, even the death-threats from Lestrange as they ambled down to the Great Hall. Observers exchanged curious glances -- why weren't they taking their bows?   
  
As Sirius leaned forward, the doors fell open. All four houses were standing, looking attentively at the door. As the four boys walked in, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw burst into applause, while Slytherin hissed. James and Sirius's heads shot up, surprised, before the boys exchanged mischievous grins, and slapped conspicuous highfives. Remus looked up wide-eyed, before grinning at James and Sirius, who beamed back happily. Peter just looked awed. As if they had planned it, Sirius, James and Remus all bowed low, grinning. Peter followed clumsily after, before all four boys, swagger in their stride, headed over to their table. 

Professor Dumbledore stood up, smiling slightly though trying to hide it behind a firm scowl. "Ahem," he cleared his throat quietly, his blue eyes twinkling, and quickly the Hall quieted down. "Well," he said into the thoughtful silence that followed. "I do believe we have a lot to say this morning. It has come to my attention that _ someone_" (his eyes darted towards the Gryffindor table but remained determinedly fixed forward) has been meddling with the school portraits." His tone became more serious, though the twinkle was still in his eye. "At this moment, we do not know who the culprit is. And, since this seems to be a first occurrence, we will let this slide when we catch the culprits with nothing more then a mere detention with Mr. Filch. But, rest assured, should something like this happen again, more serious actions will take place. I will say this," he continued, staring out into the Great Hall. "If the portraits are not restored to their original conditions by tomorrow morning--" Remus let out a relieved sigh - the spell faded at midnight tonight, as Dumbledore smirked, "--I would not like to be the culprit." 

His eyes flickered towards the Slytherin table, where Snape and his slimy friends where still in the condition the Gryffindor's had left them in this morning. He hesitated, seeming to decide if he should say anything. To his left, Perkins let out the tiniest of coughs, and Dumbledore seemed to sigh. "On a lighter note," he began and Perkins and the Slytherins scowled, "it appears that some of the Slytherin first year students have _accidently_, **I'm sure, **been hexed. I would advise more caution in the future. Thank you for not letting your attention wander too freely. Enjoy your day." 

-----------------

James grinned. "This," he said through a mouthful of porridge, "has got to be one of the best days at Hogwarts -- _ ever _."   
  
"POTTER!"   
  
James looked up, porridge at the edge of his mouth. "Yesh?"   
  
It was Lily. Since he was sitting down, she towered over him, a thin, girl with flaming red hair and burning green eyes, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.   
  
" 'lo Evans."   
  
"Potter--you--I--little--picture--_MY MOTHER_" She sputtered, so furious she couldn't even think straight. James smiled innocently. "What's that Evans? Didn't quite get that?"   
  
"You," she snarled furiously, "are unspeakable!"  
  
James smiled crookedly. "That bad?" Her mouth opened, and shut, and her eyes widened with fury, but since she couldn't think of anything remotely horrible enough to say to him, she simply growled and stalked off. The boys laughed, but James stared after her for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nutters," he muttered to himself. "Absolutely nutters."   
  
Sirius nudged James with his elbow, his eyes locked on three approaching figures. "We've got company," he whispered.  
  
James glanced up, his eyebrows raised as Snape, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle slithered towards them. His eyes flickered up towards Professor Dumbledore, whose blue eyes locked onto his. Dumbledore was watching them intently, James could see, but it gave him a strange sort of feeling. It seemed as though Dumbledore was..judging him..trying to see how he solved the situation. James took a glance over at Snape's slimy face and felt such a strong urge to hex him even further, it startled him. But another quick look at Dumbledore soothed the urge and something turned over inside of him. He could handle Snape. 

"What do you want, Snape?" James asked, his voice low and calm. Sirius glanced over, surprised at the strength in his friend's voice, but he quickly mirrored James attitude when Snape didn't answer. "Speak now Snape, or move. You're polluting the air space."   
  
"You did this," Lucius snarled, stepping in front of Snape who was too momentarily filled with hatred to be of much use, gesturing at himself and his friends. "I know it."  
  
James rolled his eyes. "You can't prove anything."   
  
Malfoy leaned closer, his voice soft and menacing so only Lupin, Potter, Black and Pettigew could hear. "I know you did this. And when I find proof, I'm going to make sure your expelled."   
  
Lupin sighed slightly. "Shove off, Malfoy. You have no proof and you know it. And now, I do believe you have some red and gold streaks in your hair you might want to get rid of before Potions. See ya."   
  
With the four Gryffindor's glaring into their backs, the Slytherin's shuffled off, with one last warning, directly especially at James from Snape. "You'll pay for this Potter!"   
  
James rolled his eyes. "I look forward to it." 

-----------------------

Potter and his posse were walking down to the dungeons when Lily and her crew swept around the corner. Lily went on to shoot James a particularly nasty look as the portrait behind her flashed her baby picture, and she blushed bright red so that her hair blended in perfectly. But she skidded to a stop directly in front of Sirius, her back directly turned to James. She spoke in a clear voice as she sighed. "Alright. You guys got us back and you got us good. Now take your bow and stop your swaggering. Truce." Slowly, as if it pained her yet she knew it was right, she extended her hand.   
  
Sirius's eyes widened, and over Lily's shoulder, he met James's eyes. The boy hesitated for a moment, his hazel eyes flickering with emotion. He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head slightly. Sirius got the message, and flashed Lily a smug smirk. "Sorry, Slytherin Eyes. No can do. You started it...now deal with it." Walking forward, he and James slapped fives as they headed into the dungeons. Lily stood, almost shaking with rage as they disappeared into the classroom, Peter trailing behind James. "I," she said slowly turning to her friends, "cannot **stand** them!"  
  
Lupin watched this, and sighing reluctantly, he took a step forward as she turned away. He touched her gently on the shoulder, and Lily whirled around to face him. "What do you want, Lupin? Want to make fun of me some more?" Despite her harsh tone of voice, she sounded genuinely hurt that her efforts at reconciliation had been rebuffed, but Remus had known better than to expect Sirius and James to accept her apology. As far as Potter and Black were concerned, Lily and her friends had gone too far and one simple prank -- however embarrassing -- was not enough retribution. Lupin, however, was satisfied. "Look, Lily," he said, being the only one of his friends to address her by her name, Lily's eyes flickered into his, "You really went to far as far as James and Sirius are concerned. But, well, I think you got what you deserved today. I wish they would have just agreed to stop it, but um..I knew they wouldn't." Lily stared at him, blinking. "So what are you saying?" she asked, her voice calm and cool once again. "Well, I don't have a problem with you..with any of you, really. I don't want to be enemies," he said hesitantly, shrugging. In the back of his mind, he knew that he couldn't afford to make more enemies then he had already. When--_if_--he corrected, his classmates found out about..his.._secret_ he could use all the allies he could get. Snape and his cronies were already one group of enemies already.  
  
Lily stared at him, then sighed, as if very tired. "Alright." She said nodding, a tight smile on her seemingly innocent face as she extended her hand. "Truce," they agreed in unison. They let go of their hands quickly, smiling slightly at each other before rushing into class. 

Sirius was staring, his mouth open, his face aghast as Lupin threw his things next to him. "What did you just do?" Sirius demanded. Lupin shrugged, his eyes on his cauldron. "What?"   
  
"You just...made..._peace with the enemy!_" Sirius crowed angrily. "What were you thinking?"   
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "Oh, shove it Sirius," he said, but his voice fell low was Perkins swept into the dungeon, accompanied by a cold, biting wind. 


	8. Class Dismissed

_"What was that, Mr. Lupin?"_

The color in Remus's face drained slightly as he turned to face Perkins. The professor was wearing the traditonal black robes, but his hair wasn't pulled back into it's normal ponytail, and was left hanging around his face, casting errie shadows in the weak light of the dungeons. His eyes were iced over with ill kept contempt, his thin upper lip slightly protruding in a scowl. Like Professor McGongall, Perkins had the ungodly ability to keep a class silent at a whisper. The entire class fell at a hush at Perkins entry, and as he spoke, no one even dared draw a breath. Remus turned around, and keeping a polite mask of civilness on his handsome young face, answered politely, "Nothing, Professor Perkins." 

Perkins slightly raised one brow. "Did I hear you use the term, **'shove off'** in my classroom, Mr. Lupin, or shall I have one of your incapable classmates fix me a ProHearing Potion?" 

Remus colored slightly and hesitated, but from his left, Sirius broke in. "He was talking to me, Professor," he explained quickly. "We were just kidding around."

James shut his eyes wearily, discreetly shaking his head and mumbling,"Why did you open your mouth?" Everyone knew it was better to just shut your mouth and look away when Perkins was concerned. 

Perkins arched an eyebrow, but said nothing, slinking to the back of the classroom without a word.

James and Sirius looked at each other, their faces equal masks of surprise. Remus dropped his head into his hands. "Good job, Sirius," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth as Perkins levitated the blackboard to the front of the room. Sirius looked surprised. "What did I do now?" 

"Today," Perkins began in his leering whisper, "if you can actually manage to put your cauldrons on the fires without burning off anyone's hands, we shall _attempt_ to make a very useful potion, which clears up boils. As many of you may know, popping boils seem to be a special epidemic in this school. I say, _attempt_ because the last class I _attempted_ to teach this Potion too ended up melting off the noses of 6 people." He gave a sneer that was slightly close to a smug smirk as he finished, "Let us hope that does not happen again." 

Lily and her friends exchanged nervous looks, Evans self conciously touching her nose as Perkins flicked his wrists and the ingredients and directions appeared on the board. "Follow the instructions to the word," Perkins warned, his cloak billowing from an unseen wind as he began his inspection around the classroom. "You have been warned." 

Lupin kept his eyes fixed directly at his cauldron, flickering from his hands to the boards. He was not about to look at Sirius or James, who were still glaring at him, and he was not about to help Peter even though the poor boy's eyes were huge and watery in panic as Perkins began to sweep towards him, no doubt a sharp comment on the Professor's tounge as Peter feverishly threw his ingredients into his cauldron in no particular order. 

"Mr. Pettigew," Perkins began in a bored drawl. "May I ask what you are doing?" 

Peter paused, half in the process of dumping porcupine quills into his bubbling fuschia potion. "Professor?" Peter questioned shakily, his face flushed and glistening from sweat. The dungeons were unnaturally hot as the potion's required roaring fires, and the added stress of Perkins usually sent many students straight for the Anti-BodyOrder charm, but Peter had yet to manage it. 

"Mr. Pettigew, may I ask you a question?" Perkin continued, his lip curling. Peter nodded. "C-certainly sir." 

"Are you a..." Perkins paused, and his voice hushed, as if he were speaking of a particularly nasty word,".._muggle-born_?" 

Peter looked up startled, his gray eyes widened. "E-excuse me, sir?" 

Lily's head shot up, and the Slytherins sniggered as Perkins smirked and turned away. "I'll take that as a yes." 

Lily's face flushed bright red and her eyes blazed as her hand shot up in the air. Her friend's faces all reflected equal surprise and hatred, and James, Sirius and Remus were all sharing scorns of disgust. Perkins barely managed to restrain from rolling his eyes as he glanced at her. "What, Miss Evans?" 

"Sir, I beg your pardon, but what does Peter's heritage have to do with his potion-making ability?" 

Perkin's face darkened. "Miss Evans, did my conversation with Pettigew have anything to do with you?" 

"Professor, as a matter of fact, I'm Muggle-born." Her voice was innocently sweet but her tone coldly furious as she continued,"I was simply wondering if by any chance that would affect my grade." 

"The only things that affect your grades, Miss Evans," Perkins hissed dangerously, "is your performance in my class and your cheek. 20 points from Gryffindor for your rudeness, Miss Evans." Whirling around with a furious expression on his face, he glanced at the clock. "Times up!" he snapped. "Take a flask of your potion and place it on my desk as you leave," he hissed. "30 points from Gryffindor thanks to Lupin, Black and Potter." Lily's face was a mask of rage as she bottled her potion, and Lupin was tense with fury. Perkins smiled. 

**"Class dismissed." **

_------------------------------------------_

_ Author's Note: Hey, everyone. This is kind of important, so please just..pay attention. lol. This is going to be one of the last **first year** chapters - there is one more left, and then MWPP and I are skipping off to third year, and from there, I might be skipping every other year - that's undecided. **But next chapter is most definitely the last first year.** Just a heads up, people, so you can get used to the idea. :o) Okay, thanks for listening --> now reveiw! _


	9. SuperWizard

"Ugh," James muttered under his breath, his handsome faced pursed in concentration. Frustrated, he threw his book down onto the floor, the light of the cheerful fire in the common room playing off his features. It was later that night, and James, for once, was having difficulty completing his homework. Professor Lovegood, though understanding as she may sometimes be, was also sometimes a bit of a mad woman, and it was rumored that some of the spells she had them learn were entirely of her own creation. James normally did very well in her class -- well, he did excellent in all of his classes -- but this particular spell was simply eluding perfection, a fact that just wouldn't do. Sirius, who for once, was actually studying, his dark hair hanging into his eyes as he scribbled off answers to his herbology homework, glanced up. "Alright, James?" 

James shrugged, leaning forward on his hands and glancing around the common room, deciding to take a break from studying for a while. His eyes fell on Lily, in the corner, bent over some book. She was curled up in everyone's favorite squishy chair, the light of the fire just enough for her to see the pages by, but dark enough to cast the chair into shadow. She made such a pretty picture there, that James almost smiled. Then he stopped dead. _ What the bloody hell am I thinking?_ He asked himself immediately. _ Did I really just use the word 'pretty'?!_

Horror now etched on his face, James turned promptly to Sirius. "Black," he said solemnly, "I think I've lost it." 

"Potter," Sirius replied without looking up, "I don't think you ever had it." 

"I didn't?"

"Nope," Sirius assured him. "So you haven't really lost anything."

"Oh. Alright then." James paused. "What were we talking about?" 

Sirius glanced up, a grin playing at his lips. "No idea." James grinned back. "Right then." 

Slightly reassured, James returned to scoping the Common Room. His eyes lingered on the moon, glowing brightly outside the open window. It was almost full now -- another day or two and its cycle would be complete. His eyes lingered on the night sky for a few moments, before he sighed, once again bringing his attention towards his tossed book. "Where's Pete and Remmy?" he asked suddenly, just noticing that he hadn't seen either of them since dinner. Once again, Sirius did not even look up to reply. "Pete is with Frank working on Potions; And Remmy, I dunno." 

James sighed, leaning back in his chair. His hair flopped into his face as he tried to remember all the homework he had due tomorrow, but his clouded brain was working extra slow tonight. His eyes landed near his feet, on the book that had been thrown asunder. _ The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _ seemed to glare mockingly at him, as if to say, 'Are you done stalling?' 

Frustrated, James snatched the book and bounded out of the Common Room. "Where are you going?" Sirius called out, bewildered. "Maybe Remmy can help," James called over his shoulder. Sirius stared after him for a moment, and then shrugged, settling back into his work. 

James caught his breath as he reached his dormitory, pushing open the door with his shoulder. He glanced up to look eyes with Remus, and he stopped dead, his eyes widened. His eyes raked over his friend in surprise. "What are you doing?" he asked after a moment, standing stock-still in the doorway.. Remus had his book bag open, but was unloading his books and things and placing them in his chest. A neat white shirt covered a wrapped package, and Remus carefully tucked the edge of the package into his bag, making sure to cover it with the shirt so James didn't have a good view of it. "Packing," Remus said matter-of-factly, though James knew Remus well enough to know when he was tense. "Packing?" James echoed, taking another step into the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and he placed his book on the bed, suddenly very worried that Remus was about to up and disappear and hadn't mentioned it to anyone. 

"Yes. That's right."

"Well, what for?" James pushed, unconsciously crossing his arms and moving over slightly so his stance blocked the doorway. Remus noticed this, and gave James a slight, quick smile. "James, you don't need to barricade the door. I've got to..." he hesitated impeccably. "Go away for a few days. I'll be back before Tuesday, I should suppose."

"Tuesday?" James repeated, still not moving. "But it's Thursday now!" 

Remus glanced up, eyebrows raised. "And who said you didn't know the days of the week?" 

"But you'll miss Halloween!" James burst out. "And our prank," he added as an afterthought. Remus's face cleared slightly. "Have you got it to work then?" 

James half-nodded, half-shrugged. "Kinda. McGonagall told Sirius that she had never heard of anyone being able to transfigure wind, but Peter talked to Hagrid about the Enchanted Ceiling, and apparently you can get it to reflect other things too. And not just reflect, it can be an exact replica." James shrugged. "So, Sirius and I are going to make it reflect _Cosmic Catastrophes: The Hurricane of 9 b.c._." Remus shook his head slightly, but smiled, though his face still seemed strained and he continued packing. "You'll have to tell me all about it." 

"But where are you going?" 

Remus hesitated. "Home," he said finally. "My..mom is kind of sick. I'll be back soon." 

"Aw, Rem, is she gunna be alright?" Remus looked at the floor as he swung his bag over his shoulder. "Yeah. She'll be fine." But James wasn't convinced, and suddenly his heart felt very heavy. Bad things always seemed to happy to Remus -- he had fallen sick late September as well, a ghastly illness that had lasted for days. Maybe he was born under an unlucky star, or something. 

"Well, tell her we hope she fells better."

"I will." Still, Remus didn't look up, but James didn't press it. "When do you leave?" Remus glanced up finally, though not at him, but at the sky. His eyes, too, lingered on the glowing sphere casting a ethereal light over all of Hogwart's ground, and on second look, James could see the moon was fuller then he originally expected. "Now," He said softly, and James's brow furrowed, and he moved slightly aside from the door. "Oh..alright. I'll take notes for you tomorrow then." 

"Great," Remus said, bending down to tie his shoe. "See ya. Happy Halloween." 

"Happy Halloween," James repeated. Remus walked out of the room, his heart in his throat, blood pounding in his ears. It was all he could do to keep his feet moving, to not turn around and face James, to beg him to understand-- 

The door clicked shut behind him. James stared after him, his mind awhirl. When he heard Remus's footsteps die away in the hallway, and the shouts of farewell (along with the mock sobbing from Sirius -- "I'll never forget you, Remus, come back to me!") James slowly opened the dormitory door, and headed back downstairs; the book lay forgotten on the bed. 

------------------------------------ 

"Now then!" Professor Sprout clasps her hands together, smiling briskly at them. There was a large amount of earth lining her eyes and a particularly dark smudge above her left nostril, and of course, the pounds of dirt under her nails. "I hope everyone did your homework last night--" Sirius scrambled inside his bag, finally producing a rather torn up and exhausted looking assignment, beaming at Professor Sprout, who smiled warily back. "Because today you will have the hands on experience of pruning alihotsy bushes. Now, if you all will just review your notes for a moment while I see whose here and whose not.." 

James tuned her out as she preceded to go down the register, pausing to mutter, "Ah, yes, o dear," when she reached Lupin's name. Sirius, not James, noticed this, and roughly nudged his friend with his elbow. "Where did you say Remus went again?" 

James shrugged, reaching for his dragon-hide gloves. "Home. His mom is sick." 

"Ah," Sirius said, leaning back in his chair as he adjusted his goggles. "Will she be alright then?" Peter asked nervously. James just shrugged. "Dunno." 

"Now, if you'll all pass your homework to the front, please..there's a good fellow, Pettigew, I see you read the assigned pages last night--" Peter flushed, as Prof. Sprout pursed her lips, scanning over several pages of homework. "And I see you, Mr. Potter did not, otherwise you would have known that you do not eat a pruned alihotsy bush, as it will cause a..er..temporary adjustment of the senses." 

Lily frowned. "Adjustment of the senses?" she questioned while James glowered at the Professor, deciding then and there to ace her stupid test about stupid alihotsy bushes. 

"Heightened, almost," Professor Sprout explained. "Sort of supernatural -- you can hear things dozens of meters away, and see miles into the distance." Sirius grinned. "So, basically you're like..Super-Wizard?" 

Professor Sprout shrugged. "I suppose you could say that. But the effects are relatively short lived and as you can see--" she gestured towards the bush itself, a horrible, decrepit looking thing with long, black branches and thick orange roots, "the pruned version of this plant is not very appetizing. We use it more for quick-healing potions. Now, if we've all had enough chatter, we could get down to work..." 

They separated into threes, Frank working with Dedalus Diggle, a rather excitable Hufflepuff, and Alice Angio, a pretty girl with a sweet face. 

James, Peter, and Sirius quickly completed the assignment without any major incidents (There was one incident when the plant, which had extremely long tentacles and a decided dislike of pruning, snatched up Peter's wand and caused a wad of flames to sprout into the air, directly at Frank's group, which was working next to them. Peter did not seem surprised in the least when Dedalus looked in the mirror and saw he was without eyebrows, sympathetically informing the Hufflepuff, "Don't worry, mate. Occupational hazard.") The three stooges sat back in quiet discussion as the rest of the class continued to work, the plans of an unforgettable (and decidedly windy and wet) Halloween in the making. 


End file.
